Facebook owner Meta Platforms faces a 21.62 billion won ($15.67 million) fine imposed by South Korea for collecting and using sensitive user data without legal authorization. The Personal Information Protection Commission disclosed that the U.S. tech company gathered data from approximately 980,000 South Korean Facebook users, encompassing details on religion, political opinions, and sexual orientation. The data was subsequently shared with around 4,000 advertisers.
The commission’s statement on Tuesday explained that Meta analyzed user behavior on Facebook, such as page likes and ad interactions, to develop targeted advertising themes based on sensitive personal categories. Examples cited include labeling users as North Korean defectors, followers of specific religions, or members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Additionally, Meta was found to have denied users’ requests for access to their personal information. The commission also noted that the company had failed to protect data adequately, leading to the exposure of information belonging to around 10 South Korean users through hacker activity. Meta Korea declined to comment on these findings.
Featured image courtesy of GABI
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