South Korea Fines Meta $15 Million for Illegally Collecting Information on Facebook Users

South Korea Fines Meta $15 Million for Illegally Collecting Information on Facebook Users
South Korean Personal Information Protection Commission's director Lee Eun Jung speaks during a briefing at the government complex in Seoul, South Korea, on Nov. 5, 2024. Lee Jung-hun/Yonhap via AP
The Associated Press
Updated:

SEOUL, South Korea—South Korea’s privacy watchdog on Tuesday fined social media company Meta 21.6 billion won ($15 million) for illegally collecting sensitive personal information from Facebook users, including data about their political views and sexual orientation, and sharing it with thousands of advertisers.

It was the latest in a series of penalties against Meta by South Korean authorities in recent years as they increase their scrutiny of how the company, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, handles private information.