Google and Meta Fined $71.8M for Violating Privacy Law in South Korea
Additionally, Google has not clearly informed users of the collection and use of other companies’ behavioural information when they signed up for its service and set the default choice to “agree”. The Korean authorities further revealed that Meta was also found to have violated personal information protection rules. The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) ordered the companies to correct the violations. It also imposed fines of 69.2 billion KRW (~$50 million) on Google and 30.8 billion KRW (~$22 million) on Meta. Check Also: Google Upgrades ‘Nearby Share’ and Brings Some Other Android Updates According to the watchdog, this is the most significant penalty in South Korea for violating personal information protection laws. “While we respect the PIPC’s decision, we are confident that we work with our clients in a legally compliant way that meets the processes required by local regulations,” a Meta spokesperson told. “As such, we do not agree with the commission’s decision and will be open to all options, including seeking a ruling from the court.” This is not the first time that Google and Meta have had to pay fines for violating privacy laws. In 2019, the French data protection watchdog issued its first General Data Protection Regulation fine of $57 million for transparency and consent violations. While Facebook-owned WhatsApp was fined $267 million for breaching GDPR’s transparency principle last year. “We disagree with the PIPC’s findings and will be reviewing the full written decision once it’s shared with us,” a spokesperson at Google said. “We’ve always demonstrated our commitment to making ongoing updates that give users control and transparency while providing the most helpful products possible. We remain committed to engaging with the PIPC to protect the privacy of South Korean users.” See Also: Whistleblower Criticizes Facebook for copying TikTok
