Meta, the company behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is in hot water again. South Korea’s privacy watchdog has fined the social media giant a staggering $15.67 million for secretly collecting and sharing sensitive personal information of users without their permission.
Here’s what happened: South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) launched an investigation into Meta. They discovered that Meta had gathered private details from about 980,000 South Korean Facebook users—information like religious beliefs, political views, and even sexual preferences—and shared it with around 4,000 advertisers.
How Did This Happen?
Meta didn’t just collect random data. They snooped through what users liked, the ads they clicked on, and the pages they followed. Using this information, Meta figured out who was interested in certain topics, like specific religions, LGBTQ+ issues, and even North Korean escapees. This was all done without asking for clear consent from users.
Under South Korean law, companies like Meta are not allowed to gather or share sensitive data, such as religious beliefs or political views, without first asking users for explicit permission. But Meta didn’t follow these rules. Instead, they only made vague mentions of how they used personal data in their privacy policies, which wasn’t enough to protect users’ privacy.
Other Problems for Meta
The fine isn’t the only issue Meta is facing. The PIPC also said that Meta refused a request from users to see the personal information the company had collected about them. And to make matters worse, data leaks exposed personal information of at least ten South Korean users.
This isn’t the first time Meta has faced trouble for mishandling user data. In September, the company was fined $100 million in Europe for storing passwords without proper protection. And in June, Nigeria slapped Meta with a fine of $220 million for breaking privacy laws.
What Happens Next?
South Korea isn’t letting Meta off the hook. The company has been ordered to pay the 21.62 billion won fine (about $15.67 million), and the privacy watchdog will continue to monitor whether Meta is following the rules going forward.
Meta’s privacy problems have been piling up, and this latest scandal shows just how far they’ve gone in collecting and misusing sensitive user data. Will the company finally take privacy seriously, or will more fines follow? Only time will tell.
