Google and Meta have filed a lawsuit against a ruling by the South Korean data protection watchdog to penalise the global tech giants for collecting personal data illegally, said the industry sources.
The legal action by the two US companies came after the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC). They decided to slap a combined fine of 100 billion won ($77.2 million) on them in September 2022, for collecting personal information without the consent of the users and further using it for personalised online advertising and other purposes, reported IANS.
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The highest amount of fines was imposed for alleged violations, of the personal information protection law, reported Yonhap news agency.
The Personal Information Protection Commission also ordered Meta and Google to clearly and simply inform their users and get their consent- if they are willing to gather or use any user behaviour data on applications or websites outside their platforms.
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But both the tech giants have expressed their regrets over the regulatory decision, and they have claimed that it is operators of websites and applications and not the platform operators like them (Google and Meta), who are now supposed to receive legitimate consent during the process of collecting information from users who are visiting the websites and application.
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The PIPC further looked into the privacy policy which was updated by Meta- the owner of Facebook who ran afoul of domestic law. The tech giant later withdrew a controversial plan to deny access to users of its platform if they do not accept the terms of its privacy policy update.
Inputs from IANS
