South Korean Apple delegates Apple delegates wouldn’t comment on unauthorized transfer of customer data
Apple delegates in South Korea refused to comment directly on the company’s role in the recent unauthorized transfer of 40 million local users’ personal data to Alipay, according to The Korea Herald.
The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) last month imposed fines on both Apple and Kakao Pay (a mobile payment and digital wallet service company based in South Korea) and Apple in response to the Kakao subsidiary transferring the user data to Apple using Alipay as an intermediary. Users had not consented to Alipay handling their information in the transfer.
South Korean law requires user consent when a company provides their personal information to a third party, particularly when it is moved overseas. The data was reportedly used to process the non-sufficient funds (NSF) score for Apple, a task which was delegated by the US-based company to Alipay, a China-based digital wallet and payment platform that allows users to make payments online and in person.
According to transcript of a meeting held last month by PIPC, representatives of Apple were asked which other countries used Apple’s NSF scores, to which they answered, “It is hard to make a public statement because we have to confer with our client. We do not know exactly.”
When asked if the company had kept records so the incident could be investigated, the Apple delegation answered, “Many of those related have left the company. We can’t track down (the related) emails.”
According to The Korea Herald, they also didn’t directly address the commission’s request to submit related data, saying either that they cannot find it or that they will inquire with Apple headquarters in the US.
The post South Korean Apple delegates Apple delegates wouldn’t comment on unauthorized transfer of customer data appeared first on MacTech.com.
