Italian authority fines Meta 805 million euros for unauthorized Android gallery access

The Italian Data Protection Authority fined Meta Platforms Ireland Limited 805 million euros for accessing photos, videos, and metadata from 20 million Facebook users without specific consent. The regulatory action follows an investigation into an Android application feature that accessed user gallery data. The fine represents approximately 0.47% of the global revenue of Meta Platforms Ireland Limited.

Unauthorized Android feature access

The violation involves a Facebook Android application feature titled "Get gallery suggestions while browsing Facebook." This feature has been available to users since 2023. The application uses stored photos and videos to suggest content for users to post on the social network. The investigation, which launched in July 2025, followed a complaint by the Bolzano Consumer Protection Center.

Regulators determined that the application used a single generic permission labeled "enable other functions" that was activated by default. The Italian authority found that this permission did not clearly inform users that it authorized the use of gallery files for post suggestions. Meta Platforms Ireland Limited has 60 days to disable the feature by default to comply with the ruling.

Investigation findings and cooperation

The Italian regulator noted that Meta Platforms Ireland Limited showed "scant cooperation" during the investigation. The authority stated that the company only implemented modifications that were late and limited. While the investigation focused on the unauthorized access of media, it did not analyze whether the collected media was used to train artificial intelligence models. Meta Platforms Ireland Limited has denied using such data for training artificial intelligence models.

The Italian regulator is currently considering a separate evaluation of a new feature launched in 2026. This new feature involves the cloud processing of gallery content. The current enforcement action is one of the largest ever imposed by an Italian authority against a major technology company. For context, Amazon received a fine exceeding 1.1 billion euros in 2021 for antitrust violations.

Regulatory context and scale

The 805 million euro fine highlights the increasing scrutiny of data privacy practices by European regulators. The scale of the fine is significant, though it remains a small fraction of the total global revenue of Meta Platforms Ireland Limited. The investigation into the Facebook Android application feature focused specifically on the lack of transparency regarding how user media was utilized for content suggestions.

Glossary

• antitrust violations — These are legal infractions that can be subject to civil jurisdiction by the Federal Trade Commission. Private individuals or organizations may file lawsuits for triple damages regarding these violations.