Meta wants data or it will pull the plug on its users

Tech

Published: 26 Jul. 2022, 14:23 Updated: 26 Jul. 2022, 15:12

Meta wants data or it will pull the plug on its users

Meta is under fire in Korea for forcing local users to agree to its new privacy policy until next month.[REUTERS/YONHAP]

Social media colossus Meta is coming under fire for forcing Korean users to agree to its new privacy policy.

Meta argues it is only aligning its policy with local data protection law. The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) has started an investigation into whether it is actually breaking that law.

Since May 26, the U.S. tech giant has been asking users of its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, to consent to new terms in its updated privacy policy by Aug. 8.

If they don't, Korean users won’t be able to access their accounts on Aug. 9.

The new policy includes collecting and transferring users’ personal information overseas and collecting user locations. Personal data includes user activities such as posts and comments, friends and followers and records of other websites users visit.

Meta says the data collected can be shared with its partners to generate advertisements.

Examples of how Facebook users outside of Korea will be notified of the privacy policy update shows that users do not need to give separate consent. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A privacy policy update notification for Korean users reads, “You do not have to give your consent to the update now, but you will have to give your consent after Aug. 8, 2022 after the update to use your account.” [SCREEN CAPTURE]

While the notification given to Korean users states they must give consent by Aug. 8 in order to keep using Meta's social media — and can withdraw the consent later — users in other countries are not required to take any action even though the same update will apply.

The disparity between Korea and other countries is to “meet the needs of the Korean law,” according to Meta Korea.

Companies operating in Korea must explicitly explain which pieces of private information are indispensable to their services and which pieces are not, according to the guidelines distributed by the government in March.

They must disclose the terms and any possible penalties for not giving consent, which in this case is not being able to use Meta’s social media services.

Meta does not need to ask for consent to its updated policy in other countries, just Korea.

“The updates will be applied to all countries around the world,” Meta Korea said. “It is our utmost priority to fulfill the different needs and expectations of each country, which is why the update has been notified for a month since June in compliance with Korean privacy guidelines.”

In this file photo taken on May 1, 2018 Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during the annual F8 summit at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California. [AFP/YONHAP]

The issue is whether Meta's demand goes against Article 39 of the Personal Information Protection Act, which states that companies cannot deny service because users refuse to provide information other than essentials.

Some consumers are arguing that the information is not necessary for the company to continue its services but merely a way to improve generate more personalized ads and increase revenue.

“The problem with Meta’s privacy policy is that it is excessively demanding private information, going against the law,” said a coalition of 38 civic organizations in a statement on Sunday. “We denounce Meta for abusing its market dominance and demand that it changes the way it illegally collects data.”

Analysts agreed that Meta’s move could be seen as illegal.

“It goes against the law to refuse to provide service even when the information the company demands is not necessary to their essential services,” said Kim Jin-wook, chief of the Korean Legal Institute for ICT in a debate held on July 22. “It is reason enough for consumers who have been denied service to file a lawsuit.”

“The platform services that we use [such as Facebook and Instagram] have a public aspect to them,” said Chang Yeo-kyung, a member of the board at the Institute for Digital Rights. “Meta’s move — made in the pursuit of personalized advertisements — can be seen as a breach of the personal information law.”

The PIPC said Friday it started a probe into whether Meta’s move goes against the Personal Information Protection Act.

“We have been tracking online platforms’ personalized advertising services since February 2021 and we plan to probe the latest changes in Meta’s method of collecting consent,” the PIPC said.

There were 27.7 million Facebook users and 22.7 million Instagram users in Korea as of June, according to market tracker Napoleon Cat.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]