Meta's logo is seen on a smartphone in front of displayed logos of Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and Oculus in this picture taken Oct. 28, 2021. Reuters-Yonhap

By Park Jae-hyuk

Meta has come under investigation by Korea's privacy watchdog, as the operator of Facebook and Instagram has threatened to deactivate the accounts of users who disagree with its updated privacy policy, which is intended to support personalized ads, according to industry officials, Sunday.

The Personal Information Protection Commission said Friday that it takes this issue seriously, hinting at possible sanctions on the social media operator.

Since May, the U.S. firm has been seeking to transfer the personal data of its Korea-based users to other countries and track their location data. Although the company had initially asked its users to agree to the new terms and conditions by July 26, it delayed the deadline recently until Aug. 9.

In Korea, companies can refuse to provide goods and services only if their users disagree with the collection of the "minimum necessary" level of personal information, according to the Personal Information Protection Act.

The privacy authority, therefore, promised in Friday's press release that it will take every possible measure to protect the personal information of Facebook and Instagram users in Korea if Meta is found to commit any violation of the law. Its statement was issued as lawmakers, lawyers and activists held a forum the same day to look for irregularities in Meta's updated privacy policy.

Rep. Jang Hye-yeong of the minor opposition Justice Party said in the forum that Facebook Korea had declined to clarify its stance on this issue during a meeting with her on Friday morning. According to the lawmaker, the Korean subsidiary of Meta claimed that its new policy is legitimate and commendable, as it is intended to collect personal information more transparently.

Lawyers at the forum, however, viewed the update as illegal.

"As far as I know, users in the U.S., Europe and India will continue to be able to access their accounts, even if they disagree with the new privacy policy," lawyer Lee Eun-woo from Jihyang Law said.

Amid the growing controversy, some users here began threatening to boycott Facebook and Instagram. They especially pointed out the fact that Facebook was fined 6.7 billion won ($5 million) in 2020 for sharing the personal information of 3.3 million Korea-based users to a third party. The company was also ordered last year to pay 300,000 won to each victim.