$25 Million Class-Action Lawsuit Filed Against Apple in South Korea Over Location Data Collection

Last month, we noted that Apple had been ordered by a South Korean court to pay out one million won (approximately $946 at the time) to an iPhone user in a case regarding the company's collection of location data. At the time, it was reported that the plaintiff's lawyers were working to file a class-action lawsuit to cover additional users claiming to have been harmed by the collection.


Bloomberg reports that that lawsuit has now been filed, with about 27,000 users signing on to the lawsuit and each seeking one million won ($930) in compensation.

A group of South Korean users of Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPhone sued the company in a local court, claiming it invaded their privacy by allowing the smartphone to collect location data without their consent.

About 27,000 people joined a class-action suit against Apple’s South Korean unit and headquarters, seeking 1 million won per person ($930) in damages, according to a notice posted online by Mirae Law, which represents the plaintiffs. The suit was filed in Changwon, south of Seoul, where the law firm is located.

The report notes that in addition to the earlier judgment against Apple, the company was also fined 3 million won earlier this month by the Korea Communications Commission over the same issue. Apple has also been ordered to encrypt any location data collected, a step Apple previously promised to take.