Korea Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) fined Google and Meta a total of KRW 1 billion for violating privacy laws penalty. This is the largest fine of its kind in the country to date and the first for the collection and use of behavioral information to tailor advertising.
Google was hit harder, won 30.$2 billion (approximately 50 million dollars) and Meta is a fine of KRW 3080 100 million won ($30 million). The two companies are accused of failing to obtain legal consent before collecting user information through third-party websites and apps.
PIPC found that Google did not properly inform users that it would collect and use behavioral data. It has also been criticized for setting the default option to “Agree” and hiding other options behind the “More Options” button. This is in stark contrast to what European users see, as compared below (note: both screens are in Korean).
and European users (right ), Korean users (left) need to take extra steps to customize their consent (right)
In May Meta started asking South Korean users to accept its updated privacy policy by August 8, otherwise they will lose access to their Facebook and Instagram accounts until August 9. This push is an operation of PIPC carefully watching Meta one of the reasons.
Meta questionable privacy policy update screenshot
In addition to fines, Google and Meta They were also asked to redesign their consent dialogs in a way that complies with South Korean privacy laws.
“While we respect the PIPC’s decision, we are confident that we will work with our clients in a manner that is legally required and to meet local regulations. We therefore disagree with the Commission’s decision and will be open to all options. , including seeking a court ruling,” a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch.
“We disagree with the PIPC findings and review the full written decision after sharing it with us. We are committed to continuous updates to provide users with control and transparency while providing the best possible Useful product. We remain committed to working with PIPC to protect the privacy of users in South Korea,” a Google spokesperson told Reuters.
Source (Korean) | Pass 1 | Pass 2
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