디지털 플랫폼 자율규제의 의의와 전망

Our society, accustomed to Government Regulation, is experiencing a new wave of change. The demand for expertise in digital technology, the social influence of digital platforms, internal and external pressures for innovation and growth, and the elevated expectations of a matured citizenry have all combined to shape a government that operates on the principle of public-private cooperation. In this context, self-regulation of digital platforms may serve as a starting point for a new regulatory paradigm, where rules are created and adhered to by the entities themselves. The challenge in realizing effective regulation of digital platforms lies in the complex nature of government regulations that fail to reflect the characteristics and current state of digital platforms, coupled with a lack of experience in self-regulation. This study aims to analyze the significance and development of digital platform self-regulation, discuss related policies, and identify the types of digital platform businesses to derive practical tasks for effective self-regulation. Based on this, the necessary conditions for successful self-regulation of digital platforms have been identified. For future success in self-regulating digital platforms, it is crucial to ensure communication among stakeholders. It is necessary to identify various types of digital platform operators to ensure novelty and diversity, preventing a monopoly of self-regulation by a few businesses. Self-regulation, formed by the consensus of all, must be executed by authoritative bodies and ensured effectiveness by public power. Rather than forming self-regulatory bodies sporadically within specific areas, there is a need for concentrated efforts in forming key institutions in each sector. It's also essential to specifically identify and communicate with stakeholders, including users, consumers, and regulatory bodies, and distribute roles and authorities accordingly. Additionally, dealing with unfamiliar issues necessitates the accumulation and analysis of behavior and data that form the basis of regulation, and the operation of data-based scientific regulatory policies. It is important to verify the necessity of existing norms and flexibly improve rules to reflect the characteristics of the field. Such platform self-regulation, closely influenced by the global regulatory environment, must be designed considering these trends and be closely linked with government regulation. Complete self-regulation might be difficult to ensure effectiveness. It could undermine the credibility of self-regulation and inadvertently strengthen government regulation. Therefore, there is a need for a cooperative regulatory system that operates from a perspective of co-regulation to ensure public interest and trust.