TikTok collected the online activity data of 9.45 million [1] South Korean users without clear consent to power customized advertising.
This incident highlights ongoing tensions between global social media platforms and strict data privacy regulations in South Korea. The scale of the unauthorized collection suggests a systemic approach to monetizing user behavior without transparency.
According to a report by YTN, the company owned by ByteDance gathered this information to provide advertising performance analysis services to other businesses [1]. By tracking the digital footprints of millions of users, the platform was able to refine its targeted ad delivery system.
This practice resulted in significant financial gain for the company. The data collection enabled TikTok to earn several hundred billion Korean won [1] in advertising revenue. The process involved monitoring how users interacted with content, and other online services, to build detailed consumer profiles.
Regulatory scrutiny in South Korea has intensified as the government seeks to protect citizens from unauthorized data harvesting. The case underscores the gap between the company's public commitments to user privacy and its internal monetization strategies.
While the platform often markets itself as a safe space for creativity, the YTN report questioned this image. The report said the company's approach to security contradicted the platform's claims and its actual data practices [1].
“TikTok collected the online activity data of 9.45 million South Korean users without clear consent”
This development indicates a tightening of regulatory enforcement in South Korea regarding the 'shadow' collection of user data. By linking unauthorized data harvesting directly to specific revenue gains—in this case, several hundred billion won—regulators are moving toward a model that treats privacy violations as financial crimes rather than mere administrative errors.
