Meta, which was fined for collecting users' sensitive personal information and using it for personalized advertising, stated that it is undecided whether to file an appeal lawsuit.
On the 13th, Meta said in a statement, "We have not yet received the official decision document from the Personal Information Protection Commission," and added, "Therefore, we have not informed the commission that we will accept the disposition." It explained that it will review the decision document once received and then make a decision regarding the matter.
The Personal Information Protection Commission imposed a fine and penalty of 21.6232 billion KRW on Meta on the 5th for collecting and using sensitive information such as religion and gender identity without user consent.
According to the commission's investigation, Meta collected sensitive information such as the religious views, political views, and same-sex marriage status of approximately 980,000 domestic users through Facebook profiles. It was confirmed that about 4,000 advertisers used this information provided to them.
The Personal Information Protection Act defines sensitive information, such as beliefs, political opinions, and sexual life, as information that must be strictly protected and restricts its processing. It can only be processed with lawful grounds, such as obtaining separate consent from the data subject as an exception.
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