By Chung Hyun-chae
Former Homeplus CEO Do Sung-hwan was acquitted of charges that his company sold the personal data of 24 million customers to insurance firms, Friday.
"The company fulfilled its duty to notify customers that it may provide their information to a third party," the court said in the ruling.
Do and five other executives were indicted last year on charges of violating the personal information protection law.
The company collected the private data of 24 million customers through lottery events and other occasions, and sold the information to insurance companies in return for more than 23 billion won.
"Notifications were written on the lottery tickets that the customers' data could be used by insurance firms. According to the law, the company didn't need to directly tell customers that it would provide their information to a third party," the court said.
"The notifications were written in a font size of 1 millimeter, but it is a similar size found
on other raffle tickets."
Prosecutors earlier sought a two-year jail term for Do.
Former Homeplus CEO Do Sung-hwan was acquitted of charges that his company sold the personal data of 24 million customers to insurance firms, Friday.
"The company fulfilled its duty to notify customers that it may provide their information to a third party," the court said in the ruling.
Do and five other executives were indicted last year on charges of violating the personal information protection law.
The company collected the private data of 24 million customers through lottery events and other occasions, and sold the information to insurance companies in return for more than 23 billion won.
"Notifications were written on the lottery tickets that the customers' data could be used by insurance firms. According to the law, the company didn't need to directly tell customers that it would provide their information to a third party," the court said.
"The notifications were written in a font size of 1 millimeter, but it is a similar size found
on other raffle tickets."
Prosecutors earlier sought a two-year jail term for Do.
