Meta withdraws plan to deny access to users refusing to accept new privacy policy update

Meta, the operator of Facebook, on Thursday withdrew a controversial plan to deny access to users of its famous platform if they do not accept the terms of its privacy policy update, a government official said.

The decision came as the Personal Information Protection Commission has been looking into whether the upcoming privacy policy update by Meta runs afoul of domestic law.

The company has since late May sent out notifications to South Korean users of Facebook and another Meta-run platform, Instagram, demanding consent on new terms and conditions of its updated privacy policy set to go into effect Aug. 9.

The new policy permits the overseas transfer of personal information, collection of location information and other privacy information collection, and users who already gave their consent will be able to access their accounts after the update, according to the notifications.

A high-level official from Meta expressed the firm's intention to withdraw the policy to deny access to uses who do not accept the new privacy policy terms to the state commission's Secretary General Choi Jang-hyuk during their meeting earlier in the day, Choi told reporters. During the meeting, Choi voiced public concerns over the terms of Meta's privacy policy update, he said.

Yonhap