Meta has been fined €805 million by Italy’s data protection regulator after authorities found that Facebook did not clearly explain how an Android feature could access users’ phone photos and videos. The decision affects around 20 million smartphone users and gives the company 60 days to change how the feature operates.
Why Meta was fined €805m in Italy
The dispute centres on a Facebook feature that recommends photographs and videos from a user’s phone gallery as possible ideas for posts. To provide those suggestions, the app requested access to the device’s photo gallery through a wider, app-level authorisation.
Italy’s Data Protection Authority said the information shown to users did not make sufficiently clear that granting gallery access would also allow Facebook to generate recommendations based on stored images and videos.
The regulator said it considered the large number of people affected, along with the fact that the issue remained active for users who had not updated the app and those who had already consented to the system. It also referred to what it described as Meta’s lack of co-operation during the proceedings.
What Italy has ordered Meta to do
Alongside the financial penalty, the authority has instructed Meta to disable the feature by default within 60 days. The company must then seek separate consent from users before enabling access for this purpose.
The order distinguishes between general permission to access a phone’s gallery and specific agreement to use those files to create posting suggestions. That distinction is central to the regulator’s concern: users may have understood that Facebook needed access to upload a selected image, without realising that the app could also analyse available content to suggest posts.
- The feature must be turned off by default.
- Meta must request separate permission for the photo-suggestion function.
- The changes are required within 60 days of the regulator’s decision.
Meta says it will appeal
Meta said it strongly disagreed with the authority’s assessment of the facts, its application of the law and the size of the penalty. The company said the feature was designed to help people post photographs and videos to Facebook.
Meta also argued that users must grant permission through their device before the feature can operate and that this permission can be changed through the phone’s settings. The company plans to appeal the decision.
An appeal could prolong the dispute and leave the final legal position unresolved. Until any challenge is determined, however, the regulator’s compliance requirements remain the key practical issue for Meta and affected users.
A major privacy decision for the technology sector
The €805 million penalty is among the largest imposed by an Italian authority on a technology company. It adds to growing scrutiny of how social media platforms explain data permissions, particularly where a single device setting may enable several different uses.
For users, the case highlights the importance of checking app permissions rather than relying solely on an initial installation prompt. Android users can review which applications have access to photos and videos through their device settings, although the exact menu names may vary between phones and software versions.
The wider issue is not simply whether an app has technical access to a gallery. It is also whether people receive clear, specific information about what happens after that access is granted, including whether images are used to produce recommendations or personalise a service.
Meta faces further data-related legal pressure
The Italian decision follows another significant legal setback for Meta. Last month, a US judge in New Mexico ordered the company to pay $25 billion after finding that it had spent years misleading the public about its handling of Facebook user data.
That case and the Italian ruling concern different proceedings and jurisdictions, but both reflect continued attention on Meta’s data practices. The company also operates Instagram and WhatsApp, meaning regulatory decisions involving its systems can have implications beyond Facebook alone.
What Facebook users should check
Users who are concerned about gallery access can review Facebook’s permissions in their Android settings and remove or limit access where the option is available. They should also read individual prompts carefully when an app requests permission to use photos or videos.
The Italian regulator’s decision does not mean every Facebook user has been found to have had images misused. Its focus is on the information provided and the way consent was obtained for the feature. Meta’s planned appeal means the company continues to dispute both the findings and the penalty.
The case nevertheless sends a clear message to social media firms: broad device permissions may not be enough when an app uses personal content for a distinct function. For Meta, the next test will be whether it can satisfy Italy’s requirements while challenging the €805 million fine.
