S. Korea to Fine Apple Over Tracking Feature

The Korean unit of consumer electronics giant Apple will be fined over an iPhone feature that can track the location of users, announced S. Korea’s telecom regulator.

The maximum fine of only three million won ($2,860) amounts to only a slap on the wrist for the world’s biggest computer company by stock valuation. However, the possible class-action suits that affected consumers can take may result in potential liability in the billions of dollars. About three million S. Koreans use iPhones.

The Korea Communications Commission also criticized Google for participating in the data collection but did not impose any punishment.

“KCC decided to fine Apple Korea three million won for collecting location data despite the withdrawal of consent by some users,” said the KCC statement.

The commission had launched a probe in April as to whether privacy laws had been violated by the collection of iPhone users’ location data. In May Apple released updated software for iPhones to fix “bugs” that resulted in location data being unencrypted and stored for up to a year.

The KCC will order Apple and Google to fix the problem and to help customers better understand their mobile location tracking systems.