News & Insights
Latest news and legal insights from HANBYOL LAW LLC.
"That post, I didn't write"...you behind the anonymity, when IPs get in your way
Mr. Hanbyol Law LLC, an immigrant lawyer from Korea, explained that even in the case of anonymous message boards, investigators can obtain access IPs through fact-finding and raids on the site's operators, and even determine which telecom subscribers the IPs are assigned to. He said that these procedures are based on the Information and Communications Network Act and related precedents, which allow courts to recognize the evidentiary value of access information left on servers.
However, the lawyer pointed out that even if the subscriber is identified through IP tracing, it cannot be concluded that the subscriber is the author. He warned that actual attribution requires corroborating evidence such as device information (MAC address), and that attribution can be disputed if there are factual circumstances such as shared family use or public Wi-Fi.
In conclusion, Mr. Lee advised that rather than relying on anonymity, it is necessary to take legal measures such as closely examining the legality and evidentiary capacity of access routes and evidence collection procedures during the investigation process to target loopholes in attribution.

