Ofcom has criticised Netflix‘s leading show Squid Game after a man’s real phone number was aired in an episode.
The Korean citizen’s number was printed on a business card that featured in the show’s first episode. As a result of the show’s international success, the man in question has been receiving thousands of calls from fans.
“It has come to the point where people are reaching out day and night due to their curiosity. It drains my phone’s battery and it turns off,” he told Money Today.
“Things that wouldn’t happen in the UK because of Ofcom rules: man harassed with ‘thousands’ of calls after his number is shown in the Netflix show Squid Game,” the regulatory body Ofcom stated on its Instagram stories.
“When you see or hear a UK phone number in a TV or radio show, it’s from a special list of numbers we’ve set aside for this specific use.”
The story was documented by TV journalist Scott Bryan. “Things I didn’t expect to see: Ofcom getting in on Squid Game,” he wrote on Twitter.
Things I didn’t expect to see: Ofcom getting in on Squid Game. pic.twitter.com/LQ8jLwfYtu
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) September 30, 2021
Squid Game‘s production company are currently in negotiations with the man in question to resolve the issue.
Meanwhile, Squid Game actor Lee Jung-jae has opened up about the sudden global popularity of the series.
“I lurk on social media. I can feel the popularity. I’ve been seeing lots of people upload photos,” he told Star News, as translated by Soompi, adding that his fellow cast members have also been “uploading photos” about the show onto social media.
“Even just this morning, I was asked, ‘Can I upload this photo of us together?’ So I told them to upload it.”
The post Ofcom calls out ‘Squid Game’ after show displays real phone number appeared first on NME.
