Google, Meta Files Lawsuit Against Rs 629-Crore South Korean Watchdog Penalty

The fine was reportedly the highest ever imposed for an alleged violation of personal information protection law.

Facebook-parent Meta Platforms and search giant Google have taken legal action against a ruling made by South Korea's data protection watchdog, Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC), which imposed a fine of KRW 100 billion (roughly Rs 629 crores) for the illegal collection of personal data without user consent for online advertising purposes.

This fine was the highest ever imposed for an alleged violation of personal information protection law, according to Yonhap news agency, citing industry sources. In addition to the fine, the PIPC also ordered Google and Meta to obtain user consent before gathering or using user behaviour data on websites or applications outside of their platforms and to clearly and simply inform their users.

Google and Meta have expressed their regret over the regulatory decision, arguing that it is the operators of websites and applications, not platform operators like themselves, who are supposed to receive legitimate consent when collecting information from users.

The PIPC investigated Meta's privacy policy update and whether it violated domestic law. In response, Meta withdrew a controversial plan to deny access to users of its platform if they do not accept the terms of its privacy policy update.

Meanwhile, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is facing pressure from US Senators to reconsider plans to allow teenagers on its metaverse platforms. Meta is reportedly considering allowing users aged 13 to 17 to access its social virtual reality platform, Horizon Worlds, in an effort to grow its VR business.

However, as per media reports, Senators Richard Blumenthal and Ed Markey have written to Zuckerberg urging him to abandon these plans due to potential risks to young users. The senators argued that any strategy to encourage young people to enter a digital space with potential dangers should not be motivated solely by profit.

Meta, formerly known as Facebook, suffered a significant operating loss of $13.7 billion for its Reality Labs division in 2022, causing a setback for its AR-VR and metaverse ambitions.