Security News > 2022 > September > Google and Meta fined over $70m for privacy violations in Korea

South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission has issued two large fines for privacy violations: a $50 million penalty for Google and $22 million for Meta.

The PIPC's beef is that neither Google nor Meta properly obtain consent or inform users on how they collect and use data, particularly with regards to behavioral information used to predict interests for marketing and advertising purposes.

The data watchdog claims Google hides the setting screen to agree or disagree to collection methods and sets the default to "Agree" while Meta only asks for agreement when a user creates an account and does so in unclear ways.

"Third-party behavioral information is obtained when users visit websites and apps other than the platform. Since it is automatically collected, it is difficult to predict which behavior performed on which website or app is collected," said PPIC. Some 82 percent of Korean Google users and 98 percent of Korean Meta users allow the collection of information, PIPC said, leading to "a high possibility and risk of infringement of [user] rights."

Google reportedly said it had "Deep regrets" and vowed to work with the commission.

For its part, Google told The Register: "We disagree with the PIPC's findings, and will be reviewing the full written decision once it's shared with us. 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."

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2022/09/14/google_and_meta_fined_over/