14 DAY TRIAL // Facebook has just received a new fine, this time in South Korea, where the Personal Information Protection Commission, or PIPC, discovered the social network shared user data without consent.
And just as expected, Facebook shared this data with a series of other companies without user consent, and according to a local report, it’s believed no less than 10,000 firms received the info from the social network.
The wrongdoing started in May 2012 and lasted until June 2018, according to the same report, with the private information about 3.3 million South Korean users allegedly shared by Facebook without them giving their consent.
And it looks like the shared data includes plenty of information, including users’ names, addresses, dates of birth, work experience, relationship status, and possibly other details.
Facebook submitted “false documents”
Interestingly enough, it’s still unclear how much data was shared with third parties, simply because Facebook has provided very little information as part of the investigation. And what’s more, the watchdog claims the social network was “uncooperative” and even “submitted incomplete or false information.”
Facebook has also received a second fine of 66 million won (close to $60,000 for submitting false documentation to investigators.
On the other hand, the social network claims it actually cooperated with PIPC during the entire investigation, and the company will look into the fine and decide what to do next.
"We cooperated with the investigation in its entirety," Facebook was quoted as saying in a statement by the cited source. "We have yet to closely review PIPC's measure."
This is the first time Facebook has been fined in South Korea, but it’s obviously not the first time it’s being punished across the world, as similar wrongdoings have also been discovered in other markets across the world.