A South Korean watchdog imposed a fine of one and a half million dollars on the technology company Meta. The company was fined for illegally collecting sensitive information (including political and ideological views) of Facebook users and sharing it with thousands of advertisers.
The fine imposed by South Korean authorities is the latest in a string of fines imposed on Meta over the years, as authorities have increased scrutiny of the company’s handling of private information.
In a four-year investigation, South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission concluded that Meta illegally collected the sensitive information of nearly 900,000 Facebook users, and that the company shared that data with 4,000 advertisers. What? This information included the religious and political views of these users.
South Korea’s privacy law mandates strict protection of users’ private information, such as political or religious information, and obliges companies not to use this data without users’ consent.
