In a report from ABC News (via Engadget), it seems that Facebook has found themselves in some legal hot water as they have been hit with a fine of 396 million won (~$396,706) for allegedly limiting user access in South Korea. The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) launched an investigation last year to see if the company had violated a law that prohibits unnecessary limitation of user access.The problem began when Facebook had begun rerouting some South Korean users’ access to the platform through networks in Hong Kong and the US, which ultimately resulted in connections being slowed by as much as 450%. This resulted in ISPs receiving multiple complaints on a daily basis regarding the slowed connections.
According to the KCC, “Facebook did not actively look into the complaints from local telecoms service providers that users are complaining about slower connections and as a result its service quality was not maintained at an appropriate level. When controversies erupted in South Korea about Facebook’s rerouting, the company restored the connections to their original state around October and November of 2017.”
Unsurprisingly Facebook denies violating any kind of law, saying that in its terms of use, they cannot guarantee that access to its service won’t be subject to delays. In a statement, Facebook says, “We are disappointed with the KCC’s decision. We strive to deliver optimal performance for all our users and will continue working with Korean internet service providers toward this goal.”