SEOUL: Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has been fined 21.6 billion won (approximately US$15.6 million) by South Korea’s data protection watchdog for unlawfully collecting sensitive user data and sharing it with advertisers. The Personal Information Protection Commission announced the penalty on Tuesday, following a plenary meeting where they concluded that Meta had violated privacy laws by collecting sensitive information from around 980,000 local Facebook users.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the data collected by Meta included users’ religious and political views, marital status, and sexual orientation, none of which were disclosed to the users at the time of collection. This significant breach of privacy has led to the commission’s decision to impose the substantial fine, aiming to hold Meta accountable for its actions and to deter similar conduct in the future.

The commission’s decision underscores the ongoing global scrutiny of major tech companies and their data pr
actices, as governments and regulators strive to protect user privacy and ensure compliance with data protection laws. Meta’s operations in South Korea will likely face increased monitoring following this incident, as the company works to address the concerns raised by the commission and to align its practices with local regulations.