How Google and Meta were fined 100 billion won for violating the Personal Information Protection Act.

Google and Meta, which collected personal information without user consent In order to use it for customized advertisements, were fined 100 billion won.

The Personal Information Protection Committee held the 15th plenary session and imposed fines of 69.2 billion won on Google and 30.8 billion won on Meta for violating the Personal Information Protection Act and issued a correction order.

Yoon Jong-in, chairman of the Personal Information Commission, said, "If behavioral information collected by identifying users is accumulated, the violation is serious in that it can seriously infringe on individual privacy. We hope this disposition will serve as an opportunity to protect the right to self-determination of personal information."
Google said in its official position, "We deeply regret the results of the review by the Personal Information Commission and plan to closely review the written decision," adding, "We have made our best efforts to provide users with the best product service while continuously updating products to enhance users' data control and transparency."
He added, "Google will continue to consult with the Personal Information Commission to protect the privacy of Korean users in the future."
Meta also hinted at legal action, saying, "We will closely examine the case, leaving all possibilities open, including the court's judgment."

The Personal Information Protection Commission's decision to fine Google and Meta 100 billion won for violating the Personal Information Protection Act is a warning to global Big Tech companies that handle a large amount of user data.

The two companies were found to have collected personal information without user consent and used it for customized advertisements. As a result of the investigation, it was confirmed that Google and Meta collected and analyzed the behavioral information of other companies of their service users to infer users' interests or use it in customized advertisements, and did not clearly inform users and obtain consent in advance.
Unlike Korea, Google has been confirmed during the investigation that European users are receiving consent by dividing behavioral information collection, customized advertisements, and personal information protection settings into levels when they sign up as members.
Meta has collected third-party behavior information of users who have joined the service for about four years from July 14, 2018, and used them for customized advertisements, without clearly informing the users.

With Meta saying "I don't agree" and Google expressing "regret" over the decision to impose a penalty of 100 billion won, advertising-based Big Tech is likely to object and even consider administrative litigation because it cannot be pushed back here.