There seem to be some regions where contributors may need to understand certain legal or institutional circumstances when mapping in OSM.
For example, the Korean Peninsula is still technically under an armistice situation, and South Korea has several laws related to the disclosure of military or national security related information. In practice, openly observable information itself is usually not a problem, but depending on the nature of the information or how it was obtained, there are areas where legal issues could potentially arise.
I do not believe that OSM itself is obligated to follow the social atmosphere or political position of any particular country. I am also not proposing any kind of censorship policy or mandatory editing restriction.
However, contributors from outside a region may not always be familiar with the legal or institutional context of that region, and this can sometimes lead to unintended conflicts or friction.
Because of this, I am considering creating a reference page for South Korea explaining topics such as:
- why certain kinds of information may be considered sensitive,
- what kinds of data collection methods could potentially create legal issues,
- and what kinds of problems may arise when operating or distributing map services within South Korea.
I am also curious whether similar situations exist in other countries or regions.
For example:
- places where the publication of certain geographic information is legally restricted,
- countries where mapping or geographic data collection requires registration or permission,
- conflict areas where openly published information became controversial because of real-world safety concerns,
- situations where particular methods of data acquisition (field surveys, aerial or satellite imagery, etc.) created legal issues,
- or cases where the issue was not OSM data itself, but rather the operation or distribution of services within a country.
If similar cases exist in multiple regions, it might be useful to have a reference page collecting these kinds of legal and institutional considerations by region.
To be clear, I am not suggesting centralized rules or editing restrictions. My intention is closer to providing background information that contributors or service operators may want to be aware of when working in a particular region.
If there are examples or experiences from other regions, I would appreciate hearing about them.
Also, if there are parts of my explanation that are unclear or incomplete, please feel free to ask questions. English is not my native language, but I will do my best to answer.(Please use simpler language instead, if possible.) I would also appreciate discussion and alternative ideas that could lead to a better approach.