Italy slaps Meta with €805mn fine over access to Android photos

Italy's data protection agency has levied a substantial €805 million fine on Meta for breaching the privacy rights of Italian users. The regulator accuses Meta of accessing photos and videos stored on Italian Android devices through the Facebook app. The issue lies in a feature within the Facebook app that recommends photos from users' personal galleries, allowing them to be posted onto the social media platform.

This practice occurred without obtaining explicit consent from users nor providing adequate information about the feature. The fine equates to 0.4% of Meta's annual revenue and is the biggest ever imposed by Italian authorities on a major tech company. Meta has been given 60 days to remove the camera roll suggestions feature and to seek individual user permission for this specific function.

The agency highlights that a significant number of people remain affected by this privacy breach, particularly those who have not updated the app or previously consented to the system. Investigations into Meta began in July 2025, and the company has been uncooperative throughout the probe. Meta has not yet responded to the fine or the accusations from Italian regulators, but it may appeal the decision.

The tech giant maintains it does not use the camera roll for AI model training, although this claim was not under scrutiny. Despite arguing that the data privacy case should be handled under Irish law, Italian regulators have rejected this argument.