Business
Google, Meta Fined $71 Million for Illegal Data Harvesting
Google and Meta (Facebook) have been fined more than $71 million collectively for data harvesting of users’ personal information without their consent by regulators in South Korea.
Regulators announced Wednesday it was the country’s highest-ever data protection fines.
South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission investigation found that both companies “collected and analyzed” data about their users and monitored how they used their websites and applications.
According to the regulator, the data was used for “inferring user interests or to tailor online advertisements” without clear disclosure or consent from South Korean users.
Consequently, Google was fined $49.7 million and Meta $22.1 million.
The commission issued a statement saying it was the largest fine for a violation of the Personal Information Protection Act.
According to regulators, most users in South Korea – 82 percent for Google and 98 percent for Meta – unknowingly allowed them to collect their online activity data.
It also stated that, “the possibility and risk of infringing upon the rights of users were substantial.”
In 2020, South Korea fined Alphabet Inc nearly $180 million for abusing its dominance in mobile operating systems and apps.
US tech companies are regularly criticized for edging out rivals in markets, and multiple governments are seeking to rein them in.
The European Union has slapped Alphabet Inc with record antitrust fines, and also taken action against Apple, Microsoft and Facebook.
