Facebook: South Korea fined Meta for illegally collecting data from one million users

South Korea fined Metathe matrix of Facebookwith more than 15 million dollars for collecting sensitive information from almost a million users without consent and sharing it with advertisers, the country’s data protection agency announced on Tuesday.

The company violated laws that prohibit using information about users’ political opinions, religious beliefs and sexual preferences without their explicit consent, said the Seoul Personal Information Protection Commission.

According to this regulatory body, the technology giant collected this information from about 980,000 users in South Korea through their profiles on Facebook.

This data was subsequently used by at least 4,000 advertisers, the agency added.

Meta “analyzed user behavior data, including pages liked or clicks on ads. Facebook”, to create and implement personalized ads related to “sensitive topics” such as transgender issues, homosexuality or North Korean defectors, this body stated.

For this reason, those responsible decided to fine Meta 21.6 billion won (15.6 million dollars).

They also urged the company to “establish a legal basis for processing sensitive information, implement security measures and respond diligently to user requests to access their personal data.”