Italy fines Meta €805 mn over unauthorized access to user photos

Italian regulators have imposed a substantial fine of €805 million on Meta, the parent company of Facebook, for violating privacy laws. The infraction stems from the "camera roll suggestions when browsing Facebook" feature, which incorporates photos and videos from users' Android phone galleries without explicit consent. The Italian Data Protection Authority revealed that the fine, the largest ever issued by the Italian regulator, is a result of the investigation launched in 2025.

The regulator noted that the app requests blanket permission for accessing the camera roll, which covers multiple features with varying requirements. The authority highlighted that the vague alert given to users did not clarify the implications of granting such permission, which could potentially allow the app to access the entire photo archive permanently without the user's or authorities' ability to verify or modify the data usage.

Moreover, the Italian regulator refused Meta's argument of jurisdictional inadequacy, stating that the ePrivacy regulation does not accommodate the 'one-stop-shop' mechanism. The company is given a 60-day window to rectify the situation by obtaining separate and explicit consent for this specific feature, providing clear explanations about its functionality and the option to disable it, and ensuring it is deactivated by default. Meta has not yet commented on the matter but retains the right to appeal the decision.