The South Kosrean hit survival show Squid Game has been making headlines since its release on September 17. Its popularity has skyrocketed during these times so much that an internet provider is now suing Netflix over it, reported Reuters.
SK Broadband, an internet service provider, has sued Netflix over the massive network traffic because of the show Squid Game on Friday.
The company has claimed that Netflix should pay for the increased traffic and the maintenance work due to the surge. In South Korea. other companies such as Facebook, Amazon, and Apple pay a good usage fee for the massive chunk of data their subscribers use.
As per Forbes, SK Broadband said Netflix’s traffic on their network has increased to 1,200 Gbps in September 2021 from 50 Gbps in May 2018.
The company claims Squid Game and other shows (such as the military drama D.P.) have made Netflix the second biggest data traffic generator after YouTube. And yet, they’re the ones who do not pay a single penny.
Netflix later informed the media that they would review the claim.
SK Broadband isn’t the only one who thinks the streaming behemoth should pay network usage fees. Lawmakers do too.
Many have publicly voiced their discontent towards content providers who generate massive traffic at zero cost to the ISPs.
In a previous court case between the same parties, Seoul Central District Court passed an order against Netflix saying that the company should pay SK Broadband a “reasonable” cost as it is “obligated to provide something in return for the service.”
Netflix’s argument that got overthrown was them claiming that their company’s duty starts and stops with creating content and leaving it accessible in July 2020.
However, what’s more interesting is that Netflix has been paying a fee to broadband provider Comcast Corp. for the past seven years (and continues to do so) in the U.S.
But Netflix doesn’t seem like it’ll go down without a fight. On Wednesday, before the lawsuit, it had claimed its 770 billion KRW (651 million USD) investment had led to 16,000 jobs and economic effects worth 5.6 trillion KRW (4.7 billion USD) in South Korea.
New court proceedings, taking into account both past and current lawsuits, will start in December.
About Squid Game
Squid Game is a South Korean survival show written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk. The nine-episode series released on Netflix on September 17, 2021 and has become an internet sensation.
It features an ensemble of Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, O Yeong-su, Wi Ha-joon, Ho Seong-tae, Kim Joo-ryung, Jung Ho-yeon and Anupam Tripathi. It became the first Korean show to reach No. 1 in the U.S.
The plot revolves around 456 people deep-in-depth, playing multiple dangerous games based on children’s games in a bid to win 45.6 billion KRW. The employees wear a mask with a triangle, square and a circle, signifying the hierarchy and an ode to the ‘Squid Game’ Koreans play.
It’s acclaimed for its dark satire, violence and the class and wealth inequality showcased flawlessly.
Source: Reuters
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