South Korea slams Meta with $15M privacy fine

• Meta has been fined $15 million by South Korea for illegally collecting personal data from Facebook users without proper consent
• The fine is part of South Korea’s increased efforts to enforce privacy laws and ensure better data protection practices

What happened

South Korea’s privacy watchdog fined social media company Meta 21.6 billion won ($15 million) on Tuesday (November 5). The company illegally collected sensitive personal information about Facebook users, including their political views and sexual orientation, and shared it with thousands of advertisers.
The fine was announced by South Korea’s privacy regulator following a thorough investigation into Meta’s data practices in the country. After a four-year investigation, the Korean Personal Information Protection Commission concluded that Meta illegally collected sensitive information on about 980,000 Facebook users between July 2018 and March 2022, including their religious beliefs, political views, and sexual orientation.
Meta does not obtain users’ informed consent before using their data for targeted advertising and other commercial purposes. This is a direct violation of Korea’s Personal Information Protection Act, which requires companies to obtain the explicit consent of users before collecting and processing personal information.

Also read: South Korea fines Meta $15 million over illegal collation of Facebook user data

Also read: South Korea: Meta fined over $15 million for illegal collection of user data

What it’s important

The $15 million fine against Meta highlights an important shift in global data privacy standards. Regulators in different regions are stepping up efforts to protect consumers’ personal data. For example, the European Union has imposed heavy fines on large companies such as Google and Amazon for violating the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These regulations are designed to ensure that consumers retain control over their personal information. Then forcing companies to be more transparent and accountable in their data collection methods.

It is worth noting that data privacy laws are becoming increasingly stringent. This may have a profound impact on businesses around the world. It including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that rely on personal data for marketing or customer interactions. For smaller companies, such as Greenleaf Naturals, a small e-commerce brand specializing in organic skincare, these changes have been particularly challenging. Greenleaf Naturals uses Facebook and Instagram ads to target potential customers based on their personal data. Such as age, location, and interests. However, as privacy laws become more stringent, Greenleaf Naturals must now comply with regulations that require explicit consent from users to collect such data. Increasingly stringent privacy regulations could drive up costs, reduce marketing effectiveness. And force SMEs to explore other strategies to reach their audiences.