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South Korea delays decision on letting Google move hi-res map data overseas
South Korea has delayed its decision on Google's request to transfer high-precision 1:5,000 scale map data to international servers. The deadline has been extended from mid-May to August 11, with previous rejections tied to data center requirements and security concerns. Local apps dominate the market, providing better navigation for users.
Key points
- Google requested to transfer high-precision map data (1:5,000 scale) to its international servers, which could enhance map detail.
- The South Korean government has postponed its decision, moving the deadline to August 11.
- Google's previous requests were rejected in 2011 and 2016, with conditions tied to setting up a local data center and blurring sensitive locations.
- Local navigation apps like Naver Maps and Kakao Maps are more popular than Google Maps due to data restrictions affecting their functionality.
Why it matters
- In 2016, South Korea rejected Google's request due to national security concerns, indicating ongoing tensions between foreign tech firms and local regulations.
- The current move could reflect larger 2025 IT trends where data sovereignty and local hosting of data gain importance as governments become more protective of their geographic data.
The ongoing delay in South Korea's decision on Google's map data request highlights the challenges foreign tech companies face in complying with local regulations, emphasizing the trend of data localization that is expected to shape the IT landscape by 2025.