"[Brand name] Summer Sale — up to 78% off."
"Friends who gifted you around this time."
"A friend who gave you a birthday gift." (Excerpts from KakaoTalk's home screen)
Kakao recently rolled out a feature called "friends who gifted you around this time," a move widely interpreted as part of the company's push to grow its Talk Biz Commerce business, which has become a key revenue driver.
But users have pushed back, voicing frustration over what many describe as an increasingly ad-cluttered home screen and an aggressive nudge toward the app's gifting function.
Kakao added the "friends who gifted you around this time" feature last month, according to industry sources Friday.
Like an earlier update — "a friend who gave you a birthday gift" — the new feature reminds users of friends who sent them gifts during the same period in previous years, including last year, nudging them toward KakaoTalk's gifting service.
Kakao described the update as "a feature that helps users naturally discover meaningful moments and anniversaries within their friendships." The company did not issue a separate update notice, according to sources.
The feature is also seen as part of a broader series of updates aimed at boosting Talk Biz Commerce.
Revenue from KakaoTalk's gifting service is counted under Talk Biz Commerce. In the first quarter of this year, Kakao's Talk Biz posted sales of 1.9421 trillion won (about $1.27 billion) and operating profit of 211.4 billion won — both record highs for a first quarter. Combined commerce transaction volume over the same period reached 2.9 trillion won. The figures underscore why Kakao continues to invest heavily in Talk Biz Commerce.
Reactions among KakaoTalk users have been mixed. Some welcomed the feature as a helpful reminder to return a favor to friends who had gifted them, but many others criticized it as an overly commercial tactic.
One user complained on social media: "My ex-boyfriend popped up as a gift recommendation — can someone explain why this feature even exists?" On online community boards, others shared similar dilemmas: "A friend gave me a gift a few years ago, but we've lost touch since — am I supposed to send something now?"
Other reactions ranged from "Aren't they just obsessed with making money?" to "Only Kakao could come up with such a bizarre feature" and "Victims are popping up everywhere."
ko@heraldcorp.com
