South Korea Fines TikTok 10.3 Billion Won Over Data Use for Ads

According to Yonhap, South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission fined TikTok 10.3 billion won ($7 million) for unlawfully collecting and using users' behavioral data from third-party services to personalize ads. The watchdog said Singapore-based TikTok Pte. Ltd., which operates the platform in South Korea, gathered behavioral data from 9.45 million users through tools distributed to third-party websites and apps, then used the data for personalized advertising without properly informing users. Separately, the commission ordered corrective measures against two Apple Inc. subsidiaries and levied a combined 252 million won fine for personal information violations. It said the companies collected voice recordings and text transcripts from Siri users without consent until August 2019, and while Apple began seeking permission for voice recordings in October 2019, it did not do so for transcripts.