Coupang faulted for data preservation failures in Korean breach probe |
| South Korea’s science ministry has said Coupang failed to comply with government orders to preserve data during an investigation into a breach affecting nearly 34m shoppers, limiting authorities’ ability to fully assess the incident. The ministry said Coupang did not adjust its automatic data-retention policies as instructed, leading to the deletion of access logs linked to the probe. According to officials, a former staff engineer improperly accessed and exposed 25.6 terabytes of personal data, including names, phone numbers, addresses, and building access codes, over several months. Coupang said it has cooperated with investigators and that there is no evidence of secondary harm, but the case has escalated into a political dispute between Seoul and Washington, with US officials criticising Korea’s regulatory response. Multiple Korean agencies are continuing investigations, while Coupang has pushed back against what it describes as an unfair crackdown. |
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