Sanction on Techlabs for Deceptive Consumer Inducement(2025.5.29)

- Corrective order and penalty imposed for luring and transacting with male members using fake female accounts on their dating apps -

 

The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC, Chairperson Han Ki-Jeong) has decided to impose a corrective order (including a publication order) and a fine of 52 million Korean Won on Techlabs Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Techlabs"). This decision comes after Techlabs was found to have lured and transacted with consumers by spreading false or exaggerated information or using deceptive methods on its dating apps "Amanda" and "NeorangNarang." Specifically, Techlabs used fake female member accounts to give high scores to male members, post articles and comments on anonymous bulletin boards, and select male members.

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Details of the Deceptive Practices

Techlabs created fake female member accounts on the Amanda and NeorangNarang apps using photos of Taiwanese female members registered on their other dating app, "Yeongwon," which operates in Taiwan. They also arbitrarily created profiles (age, height, region, education, body type, etc.) for these fake accounts.

Techlabs then used these fake female member accounts to perform the following operations:

1. "Male User Care" operations on the Amanda app.
2. "Fake Posts/Comments in Secret Square" operations on the Amanda app.
3. "Male User Care" operations on the NeorangNarang app.

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1. "Male User Care" on the Amanda App

From October 18 to October 19, 2021, Techlabs used fake female member accounts on the Amanda app to view male members' profiles and give them high scores. This was done to induce male members to participate by selecting options like "Befriend" or "View Profile."

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2. "Fake Posts/Comments in Secret Square" on the Amanda App

Around November 1, 2021, Techlabs launched "Secret Square," an anonymous bulletin board service, on the Amanda app. From November 1, 2021, to April 14, 2022, they used fake female member accounts to post articles and comments, register "likes" on posts and comments, and send "Secret Matches"* to male members. This was done to encourage male members to participate by sending "Secret Matches" or "opening chat rooms."

* "Secret Match" refers to a function that allows users to express interest in a member of the opposite sex on the "Secret Square" anonymous bulletin board.

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3. "Male User Care" on the NeorangNarang App

On the "NeorangNarang" dating app, from October 5 to October 28, 2021, Techlabs used fake female member accounts to "select all" male members introduced for free and for a fee in the first stage of matching. This was intended to induce male members to participate by selecting options like "Friend Request" or "View Profile."

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Significance of the Deceptive Acts

For dating app users, important considerations in deciding whether to continue using an app or purchase electronic currency (cyber money)* to express interest in other members include the male-female ratio of active members, the existence and gender of other members, and the authenticity of their profile information.

• "Ribbon" and "Heart" are the electronic currencies used on the Amanda and NeorangNarang apps, respectively. Users can purchase these electronic currencies to use paid services such as sending "Friend Requests" or "viewing profiles" of other members.

However, Techlabs mobilized its dating business division employees to use non-existent fake female member accounts to express interest in male members, thereby conveying false or exaggerated information or employing deceptive methods to consumers. This posed a risk of luring or transacting with numerous male members who could not verify the authenticity of the fake female member profiles.

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Therefore, the KFTC determined that Techlabs' actions fell under "acts of luring consumers or transacting with consumers by conveying false facts or using deceptive methods" as stipulated in Article 21, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 1 of the 「Act on Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce, etc.」(hereinafter 'Electronic Commerce Act'). Consequently, the KFTC decided to impose a corrective order (including a publication order) and a fine of 52 million Korean Won.

 

The KFTC's current measure sanctions a business operator who sought to activate the use of their dating apps through unfair means, such as deceiving consumers by feigning active female member participation. This action is expected to raise awareness within the dating app service industry and contribute to preventing consumer harm.