Naver criticised for manipulating search terms

The South Korean search engine Naver has faced a barrage of criticism after it was revealed that it removed certain suggested search terms from its search results. A report by the Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) revealed that Naver removed around 15,000 “relevant search words” and 23,000 “recommended search words” in a 2-month period. The search terms were frequently related to people or organisations that were involved in legal investigations, and were removed either following a request from the individual or organisation involved, or at Naver's discretion. KISO says that the removal of the suggested search terms clashed with the public's right to access information. KISO has told Naver that it must adopt stricter standards when deciding whether to remove suggested search terms. 

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