Italy fines Meta $887 million over Android photo gallery access

Italy's data protection authority has fined Meta Platforms Ireland Limited €805 million ($887 million) for accessing photos, videos, and related metadata from Android users' phone galleries through a Facebook feature without specific consent or adequate disclosure.

The feature, called "Get suggestions from gallery when browsing Facebook," has been available since 2023. According to the authority, it was enabled by default and Facebook requested gallery access through a single permission covering multiple app functions with different purposes, preceded by a generic notice that did not allow users to understand they were also authorizing gallery suggestions.

The authority said the feature violated a European privacy directive incorporated into Italian law, which protects smartphones as part of a person's private sphere and requires "free and informed consent" for such access.

The fine and the orders

The penalty amounts to approximately 0.47% of the group's global turnover, according to the authority. The fine was imposed on Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, which challenged Italy's jurisdiction, according to the statement.

The authority gave Meta 60 days to disable the feature and seek separate consent for its use. Italy has about 20 million Android users, the agency said.

The authority also cited "Meta's lack of cooperation" with the investigation as a factor in the penalty.

Meta's response

Meta said it would appeal the decision. A company spokesperson said "we strongly disagree" with the assessment by the regulators "and the disproportionate level of the fine."

Meta made no immediate comment in the initial announcement.

Why it matters

The fine is among the largest an Italian authority has imposed on a tech company. The authority said it took into account the high number of people affected and the duration of the infringement, which it said is still ongoing for those who have not updated the app and for those who have already given their consent to the system.

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Sources

• nypost.com: Italy fines Meta $887M over access into Android users' photo galleries
• theguardian.com: Italy fines Meta $887m for accessing Android users’ photos and videos | Meta | The Guardian
• bostonherald.com: Ticker: Italy fines Facebook parent Meta over Android users' photo gallery use
• ppc.land: Italy fines Meta €805m over Facebook's access to Android photo galleries
• latimes.com: Meta fined $887 million in Italy over Android, Facebook images - Los Angeles Times

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.