Italy Fines Meta €805 Million Over Default Gallery Access on Android

Italy's data protection authority has imposed a fine of €805 million (about $887 million) on Meta, alleging that Facebook pulled photos and videos from Android users' galleries without the specific consent or clear disclosure required under the law. The regulator said the feature, labeled as a way to get suggestions from the gallery while browsing Facebook, breached a European privacy directive that Italy has written into its national legislation.

According to the authority, the directive treats a smartphone as part of a person's private sphere and demands freely given, informed consent before any such access is allowed. Investigators found that the gallery-suggestion feature was switched on by default and that Facebook asked for access through a single permission covering several app functions with different purposes, rather than seeking separate approval for each use.

The penalty was issued to Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, the group's main European operating entity, which contested Italy's jurisdiction over the matter, the regulator said. The authority also stated that what it described as a lack of cooperation during the investigation contributed to the size of the fine.

The sum amounts to roughly 0.47 percent of Meta's global turnover, and the company has been given 60 days to switch off the feature and obtain distinct consent for its use. Italy is home to an estimated 20 million Android users, according to the agency, making the ruling relevant to a large share of the country's smartphone owners.

The decision adds to a series of privacy enforcement actions by European regulators against large technology platforms over how they collect and use personal data. The case highlights growing scrutiny of default settings and bundled permissions that critics say can push users into sharing more of their device content than they intend.