Italy orders Meta to pay $887M for not obtaining specific consent over user photos

Italy has imposed a hefty fine of $887 million on Meta for failing to obtain specific consent from users regarding access to their photos and related metadata within the Facebook app on Android devices. The Italian Data Protection Authority (IDPA) levied this substantial penalty, marking one of the highest fines ever issued by the Italian data regulatory body.

This fine equates to 0.47 percent of Meta's global revenue, underscoring the severity of the violation. The IDPA's concern revolves around the app's "Camera roll sharing suggestions" feature, which recommends users which photos or videos to post from their phone's library. The authority contends that the app's single permission request, applying broadly to the entire application, does not provide adequate specific consent or transparency to users.

The IDPA further argued that the feature should not be enabled by default and should clearly inform users of the data access request. The investigation was initiated in July 2025 following a complaint from the Bolzano Consumer Protection Centre. Meta has 60 days to obtain explicit user consent for this feature, while also making it the default off position, even for those who have previously granted permission.

The company is also required to switch the feature to an off state by default. Meta is currently facing a separate legal challenge in New Mexico where it is obligated to pay $25 billion in penalties due to a data harvesting scandal involving Cambridge Analytica.