Italian authorities have slapped Facebook’s parent company, Meta, with a hefty fine of €805 million (approximately $880 million) for improper access to users’ photos. The country’s data protection agency announced the decision on Saturday, stating that Meta accessed photos, videos, and metadata from Italian users through its Facebook app for Android devices without obtaining explicit consent.
The regulators highlighted that when users enabled the gallery suggestions feature, Meta accessed their photo gallery with a general authorization that did not inform users adequately about the specific access being granted. The authority stressed the need for Meta to ensure users understand what they are consenting to and to seek explicit permission for accessing their galleries.
A spokesperson for Meta expressed strong disagreement with the fine and the regulators’ assessment, describing the penalty as disproportionately severe. This latest fine follows another significant penalty in which New Mexico ordered Meta to pay $25 billion for misleading residents regarding data usage over a decade.
According to the Italian data protection authority, the fine reflects the extent of the violations, which affected an estimated 20 million Android users. They also noted the ongoing nature of these infringements for users who had not updated the app. In determining the fine’s size, officials considered Meta’s lack of cooperation during the investigation and the high number of individuals impacted.
The penalty issued to Meta is among the largest ever imposed by Italian regulators on a technology giant, surpassing a previously significant fine levied against Amazon in 2021 for antitrust violations.
