South Korea fines Meta $15.7 million for privacy violations
After an unauthorised sharing of sensitive user data.
South Korea’s data protection agency has fined Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook, 21.62 billion won ($15.67 million) for improperly collecting and sharing sensitive user data with advertisers. The Personal Information Protection Commission found that Meta gathered details on nearly one million South Korean users, including their religion, political views, and sexual orientation, without obtaining the necessary consent. This information was reportedly used by around 4,000 advertisers.
The commission revealed that Meta analysed user interactions, such as pages liked and ads clicked, to create targeted ad themes based on sensitive personal data. Some users were even categorised by highly private attributes, including identifying as North Korean defectors or LGBTQ+. Additionally, Meta allegedly denied users’ requests to access their information and failed to secure data for at least ten users, leading to a data breach.
Meta has not yet issued a statement regarding the fine. This penalty underscores South Korea’s commitment to strict data privacy enforcement as concerns over digital privacy intensify worldwide.