South Korea Slaps Meta with US$15 Million Fine for User Data Breach

South Korea fines Meta Platforms $15.67 million for violating user data privacy. Meta obtained sensitive information from nearly 1 million South Korean users without their consent. Data was shared with 4,000 advertisers to enable targeted advertising.

Credit: ENVATO

The Personal Information Protection Commission in Seoul revealed that Meta, Facebook's parent company, collected information from nearly 980,000 South Korean users without their consent, including religion, political beliefs, and sexual orientation.

Credit: META

According to the commission, Meta then distributed this information to approximately 4,000 advertisers, violating user privacy rights. The agency stated that Meta analysed user behaviour data, such as pages liked and ads clicked on Facebook, to create targeted advertising based on sensitive personal information. Users were classified based on factors such as North Korean defector status, religious affiliation, or transgender or gay identity.

When asked about the allegations, a Meta Korea representative declined to comment. The commission also stated that Meta had unfairly denied users' requests to access their personal information and failed to prevent the leakage of data belonging to approximately 10 South Koreans as a result of a cyberattack.

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• South Korea fines Meta Platforms $15.67 million for breaching user data privacy

• Meta collected sensitive information from nearly 1 million South Korean users without consent

• Data was shared with 4,000 advertisers for targeted advertising purposes

Source: REUTERS