The government telling us to change our ‘0000’ password

The government has launched a campaign in September to guide people to change their initial set-top box passwords. Set-top boxes with an initial password set to '0000' or '1111' are the target. The government ran a campaign with the same purpose in 2019. As similar guidance is being repeated for the first time in seven years, there are calls to evaluate the effectiveness of the policy. April 9, a mobile phone store in downtown Seoul. / News1 According to industry sources on the 22nd, the Korea Communications Agency, a public institution under the Korea Communications Commission, reselected 'changing set-top box passwords' as a paid broadcasting user protection policy task on September 11. A consultative body composed of pay-TV operators, the Internet TV (IPTV) Association, and the Cable TV Association identified this task. The foundation stated that it plans to distribute related promotional content. Later, in mid-September, KT and LG Uplus advised customers through their websites, “If you are concerned about unexpected TV charges due to a child's mistaken payment, please change the set-top box password.” The default password for many telecom set-top boxes is often '0000' or '1111'. This is not the number on the set-top box’s exterior, but the one entered when purchasing paid content via the remote control. If the initial password is not changed, children or elderly users may accidentally purchase paid content and be billed. SK Broadband requires customers to enter a four-digit purchase verification code at the payment stage when selecting a paid video on demand (VOD) service. The company stated "Initial authentication number 0000" on the information screen. They also informed users that entering a purchase verification code would allow them to access paid channels or content. LG Uplus also explained in an official U+tv guide video that the default VOD payment password is 0000. They explained that the purchase would be completed once the customer selected the desired VOD and payment method, then entered a password. The government ran a campaign with the same purpose in 2019. At the time, the Korea Communications Commission (now the Korea Communications and Media Committee) launched a damage prevention campaign, citing frequent cases where young children entered the initial set-top box password, such as 0000 or 1111, to purchase VOD or games, resulting in charges unknown to their parents. At the time, the campaign targeted all 18 pay-TV providers, including IPTV, cable TV, and satellite broadcasters. The government provided each provider's password change instructions and customer service information through infographics and QR codes. The instructions included information such as ‘changing the initial set-top box password' and 'how to check detailed billing details.’ The telecommunications industry explained that this campaign was carried out in accordance with government policy. An industry insider said, “This is a government-led campaign, not one in which telecom companies are providing information voluntarily.” He stated, “There may be some costs involved in guiding customers through the process of changing their set-top box passwords, but it is difficult to estimate the exact amount.” A representative from the Korea Communications Agency said, “Although this policy was implemented seven years ago, it was reintroduced after feedback from a consultative body with pay-TV providers indicated a high number of complaints regarding set-top box passwords.” fun3503@chosunbiz.com