Italy reportedly fines Meta €805M over Android data

Italy’s data protection authority fined Meta €805 million (about $887 million), saying Facebook’s Android photo-suggestion feature accessed users’ gallery photos, videos and related metadata without clear, specific consent. The feature was enabled by default, and the regulator said a generic permission request did not adequately explain how gallery content could be used; around 20 million Italian Android users may have been affected. Meta must disable the feature by default and obtain separate, informed consent within 60 days, including from users who had already granted app permissions. The authority cited the alleged violation’s scale and duration and Meta’s lack of cooperation. Meta had not publicly commented and had challenged Italy’s jurisdiction. One supplied report disputes whether an official announcement or supporting documentation confirming the fine had surfaced, while other reports attribute the penalty to the regulator.