Italy fines Meta €805m over Facebook access to users' Android photos
The penalty turns on a single app-wide permission that gave Facebook broad access to gallery media without users being clearly told why.
Italy's privacy regulator has levied a fine of €805m on Meta over how its Facebook app gained access to photos on Android phones. The regulator found that around 20 million users were not properly told the app could read their photo and video libraries to suggest post content, with access granted through a single app-wide permission. Meta has been given 60 days to switch the feature off by default and to request consent for it separately from each user. Meta has said it disagrees with the findings and the size of the penalty and plans to appeal. For developers, the case shows that bundling broad media access into one permission is a regulatory risk in Europe.
Why it matters
For users, the ruling means photo access to suggest posts should be switched off by default and requested separately, not granted in one bundled step. The case signals to Italian and European regulators that broad media access hidden inside a general permission can carry significant penalties, which puts pressure on large platforms to make such consent specific and clear. Meta disagrees with the findings and the size of the fine and plans to appeal, so the outcome is not yet settled.
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