Apple Fine of 200 Million Won... Google Faces a Penalty of 3 Million Won
The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) has issued corrective orders and imposed fines totaling 856 million KRW in penalties and 345 million KRW in administrative fines on 188 businesses, including Google and Apple, for violating location information protection regulations.
On the morning of the 12th, the KCC held a plenary meeting at the Government Complex Gwacheon and resolved on the "Administrative Disposition on Businesses Violating Location Information Protection Regulations" accordingly.
This administrative disposition is based on the results of the "2022 Regular Inspection of Location Information Businesses," conducted under the amended Location Information Act of 2022, covering protection measures for location information, destruction of personal location information, registration of location information businesses, and other related matters.
The inspection found a total of 353 violations. By business type, there were 229 violations by location-based service providers, 117 by personal location information providers, and 7 by object location information providers. The most common violation type was failure to obtain approval or report for business suspension or closure, accounting for 150 cases. This was followed by violations of administrative and technical protection measures (54 cases) and violations related to specifying terms of use (45 cases).
The KCC imposed fines and administrative penalties on 52 businesses, including Apple and Google, that violated location information protection regulations. Corrective orders were issued to 14 businesses for their violations.
Google Korea was fined 3 million KRW for violating the disclosure of location information processing policies, while Apple Korea was fined 210 million KRW in penalties and 12 million KRW in administrative fines for violations including failure to specify and obtain consent for terms of use, failure to disclose location information processing policies, and violations of administrative and technical protection measures.
The KCC emphasized the need for strict measures against businesses with inadequate location information protection to safeguard users' privacy. The KCC plans to strengthen measures to protect the rights and interests of location information subjects and, separately from location information protection regulations, actively promote support plans for businesses to enhance user convenience and revitalize the location information industry.
KCC Chairman Kim Hong-il stated, "Location information is a core resource that enhances user convenience while serving as a foundation for the growth of innovative industries, but special protection is necessary to safeguard individuals' privacy and social safety when using location information."
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