TikTok Fined 10.3 Billion KRW for Illegal Data Collection in South Korea
TikTok was heavily fined by South Korean regulators for collecting data on users' behaviors on third-party platforms without legal consent for targeted advertising. This penalty reflects the tightening global regulation on platform data compliance, and future advertising monetization and data transfer costs in South Korea will significantly increase.
What are the key facts?
- 1Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) of South Korea
- 2Fined 10.3 billion KRW (approx. 7 million USD)
- 3Unauthorized collection of data from 9.45 million users
What happened?
The Personal Information Protection Commission of South Korea ruled that TikTok's Singapore entity illegally collected clicking, searching, and purchasing data from approximately 9.45 million active South Korean users on third-party apps and websites without user consent, violating the Personal Information Protection Act. TikTok was fined 10.3 billion KRW and ordered to make corrections.
What does this mean for cross-border sellers?
Sellers should be aware of compliance risks regarding user privacy data collection in overseas markets, as stricter platform policy restrictions may be on the horizon.