The Italian Data Protection Authority imposed a fine of 805 million euros on Meta, the owner of the Facebook platform, for using images and videos of about 20 million Android users in Italy without obtaining their explicit consent.
The authority clarified that the violation pertains to a feature launched in 2023, which allows the app to access the photo gallery on users' phones and suggest content for posting, without providing sufficient clarification regarding the nature of the use of the images and the required permissions.
It added that the company did not separate the permission to access the photo gallery from the authorization needed to use its contents for posting suggestions, which it considered a violation of data protection and privacy rules.
The authority granted Meta a 60-day period to disable the feature by default, and to obtain separate and clear approvals from users, including those who had previously granted the app permission to access their photos.
It indicated that the investigation began in July 2025, following a complaint submitted by a consumer protection center in the Italian city of Bolzano, confirming that the investigation did not address the use of images for training artificial intelligence models.
It also noted its right to conduct a separate assessment of a feature launched in 2026 that allows processing photo gallery contents via cloud computing.
The fine amounts to approximately 0.47% of Meta's global revenues, while the authority required the company to inform it of the actions taken to comply within 30 days, and to submit a detailed report of the implemented steps within 90 days.