The Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) has reportedly ordered South Korea’s largest mobile carrier to compensate 58 users who filed a class action against the company over a targeted hacking incident.
The decision sets a significant precedent, holding a telecom provider financially liable for security breaches involving third-party exploitation.
According to Reuters, the agency decided at a Thursday meeting to order the company to pay each applicant 100,000 won ($67) worth in a mix of cash and mobile phone bill discounts.
It has been observed that the company was fined 134 billion won after the country’s massive mobile carrier experienced a cybersecurity breach, resulting in the data exfiltration of more than 20 million users.
The agency clarified that it would send notification of the order to SK Telecom immediately, and the company must respond within 15 days of receiving it.
Furthermore, the agency is urging the company to take pivotal steps to reimburse all of the affected users, which could bring the total cost to nearly 2.3 trillion won.
Nonetheless, the total cost to the company’s reputation and the scale of anticipated claims mark a significant turning point for consumer protection in South Korea.
