Met was fined $15 million for collecting sensitive user data

On Tuesday, Meta Platforms received a significant fine for the alleged unauthorized collection and distribution of user data. South Korea’s privacy watchdog fined the social media giant 21.6 billion won ($15 million) after concluding that Meta illegally collected and shared sensitive information about Facebook users.

The fine adds to ongoing scrutiny of Meta’s data-handling practices as regulators around the world step up their oversight of privacy breaches.

User metadata covers sensitive personal data

Personal Data Protection Commission (PIPC) discovered that Meta was collecting and distributing sensitive personal data without proper user consent, Reuters reported on Wednesday. Between July 2018 and March 2022, Meta reportedly collected data on 980,000 Facebook users, including information about their political views, religion and sexual orientation. The watchdog concluded that Meta shared this data with approximately 4,000 advertisers, violating privacy protections that require the user’s express consent to such personal information.

Besides, the agency reported a security bug. Hackers gained access and leaked the information of about 10 South Korean users. This failure to protect personal data has further increased scrutiny of Meta’s data processing practices.

South Korea’s privacy regulations offer strict safeguards for data related to personal beliefs and social orientation. Companies that process such information must obtain express consent from users.

The significant fine follows a series of similar actions by regulators around the world, underscoring the growing importance of user privacy in the digital space. While Meta has faced penalties in the past, the scale of this fine reflects a growing intolerance for privacy violations. Governments around the world are tightening regulations to protect users’ private information technological industry risk increased liability for breach of confidentiality.

PIPC the investigation also showed that Meta denied users’ requests to access or delete personal information. In addition, the watchdog noticed a security breach that affected the data of around ten users, raising concerns about the company’s handling of sensitive information.

Target under pressure amid increased regulatory scrutiny

The penalty on user metadata comes amid increased regulatory pressure to tighten social media’s use of data. Privacy experts say the punishment signals broader problems with the company’s data policies, especially when it comes to sensitive user information.

Meta, which owns popular platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp, is under increased control from several countries.