Chanel Korea fined for excessive collection of personal information

Chanel Korea has been fined for requesting names and contact numbers from waiting customers and their companions.

The Personal Information Protection Commission announced on Thursday that it had decided to impose a fine of $2.761 on Chanel Korea for violating the Personal Information Protection Act during its 19th plenary meeting.

Chanel Korea faced criticism for excessive collection of personal information when its boutique in a Seoul department store asked waiting customers and their companions for their names, contact numbers, birthdates, and addresses.

Chanel Korea argued that it collected these details to prevent proxy purchasing since customers were only allowed to purchase a limited number of items. However, the company received widespread criticism, with people stating that it treated customers as potential criminals.

The commission concluded that Chanel Korea’s actions violated the Personal Information Protection Act, and the measures taken went beyond the scope of their original purpose of managing waiting customers.

Additionally, the commission noted that denying services to customers who refused to comply with personal information collection was also considered a violation of related laws.

An official from the commission stated, “Businesses should collect the minimum personal information needed for their services. This case serves as a reminder that businesses must not refuse services to customers on the grounds that they refused to agree to the collection of personal information.”