Italy Fines Meta €805 Million Over Android Photo and Video Access

Italy's data protection agency said on Saturday that it will fine Meta €805 million ($887 million) over allegations that the company's Facebook app for Android accessed users' photos, videos and related metadata without consent. The agency said the access happened through a camera roll suggestions feature and involved millions of Italian users. Meta has not yet commented on the matter.

What the Agency Found

The Italian Data Protection Agency (GPDP) said that through the Facebook app for Android devices, Meta accessed photos, videos and related metadata stored on Italian users' smartphones without obtaining specific consent and without adequately informing them. The agency said the access came through the 'Camera Roll Sharing Suggestions' tool, which uses media from a user's personal gallery to recommend content for posting.

GPDP said its investigation began in mid-2025 and found that access to the gallery is requested with a single permission valid for the entire app and for multiple functions with different needs. It said the permission is preceded by a generic warning, 'enable other functions,' that does not allow the user to understand that they are also authorizing gallery suggestions, and that the feature was set to enabled by default. According to the agency, if granted in full, this type of permission allows the app to read the device's entire photo archive, usually permanently, without the user or authorities being able to verify which information is actually being used.

The agency said this apparent transgression of privacy violated Article 122 of the Italian Privacy Code, which imposes a general prohibition on the storage of and access to information on the user's terminal. Access to such information on a smartphone, according to the GPDP, requires free and informed consent.

Fine and Required Changes

The fine was calculated taking multiple factors into consideration, including Meta's reported lack of cooperation with the investigation, the number of users affected, which numbered in the millions, and the duration of the violation. GPDP added that the amount adds up to about 0.47% of Meta's total global revenue.

The Italian authorities are now calling on Meta to, within 60 days, disable the feature by default and then seek users' specific consent for the tool separately. The company has also been instructed to ensure that, after the 60 days have expired, the tool cannot be activated for users who have not given their explicit permission.

Other Legal Issues in Italy

The company has faced legal issues in the European country before. Several Italian families brought a lawsuit against Meta and TikTok over the alleged risk of biological and psychological harm to minors which the social media platforms owned by the companies, Instagram and Facebook in Meta's case, pose. In that case Meta has denied the allegations and claimed that it has implemented measures to safeguard children. The final hearing on that particular class action will take place in the northern Italian city of Milan on November 19.

Sources: International Business Times · Reuters · Techmeme