Italy fines Meta US$880mil over photo privacy

MILAN: Italy’s data protection authority has imposed a hefty fine of €805 million (US$880 million) on Facebook’s parent company, Meta, for accessing users’ photos without obtaining their explicit consent. The regulator criticized Meta for failing to inform users about this unauthorized access through its Facebook application for Android devices.

The authority also noted that Meta did not provide adequate information about the purpose and implications of the feature, which suggests photos and videos from users' phone galleries as suggestions for posts. Italy’s fine ranks among the largest ever imposed on a tech giant by an Italian authority. In 2021, Amazon faced a fine of €752 million for breaching competition law, although this amount was reduced on appeal.

Meta has the option to appeal the latest fine, which is roughly 0.4% of the company's annual turnover, amounting to US$201 billion in 2025. The regulator took into account the high number of affected users – approximately 20 million Android users in Italy – and the ongoing nature of the infringement for those who have not updated the app or who have given their consent.