Italy's data protection agency penalized Meta after discovering that the Facebook app gained unauthorized access to personal photos and videos stored on Android devices. The practice stemmed from an automated tool meant to recommend gallery content for social media posts. In addition to paying the €805 million sanction, the company must deactivate the default tool within 60 days and implement a dedicated consent mechanism. Regulators also noted that a newer cloud-processing gallery tool launched in 2026 may face separate future scrutiny.
Key points
Regulators determined the Facebook app accessed Android device media without user consent.: Regulators determined the Facebook app accessed Android device media without user consent.
The inquiry excluded artificial intelligence model training after Meta denied using the d…: The inquiry excluded artificial intelligence model training after Meta denied using the data for that purpose.
Italian authorities may launch a separate review regarding a 2026 cloud-processing galler…: Italian authorities may launch a separate review regarding a 2026 cloud-processing gallery feature.
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MILAN, Nov 14 : Italy's data protection agency said on Saturday it had fined Meta Platforms €805 million ($887 million) after finding the company had accessed Android users' photographs and videos without obtaining their consent or informing them.
• Meta had access to Android users' photos and videos through a Facebook app feature that suggested content from users' personal galleries that they could post, the authority said in a statement
• Meta has 60 days to disable the feature by default and seek users' consent separately, it added
• Meta was not immediately available for comment
• The investigation, which began in 2025, did not cover the possible use of the content to train artificial intelligence models, a practice Meta denied, the authority said
• It added that it reserved the right to assess separately a new feature, launched in 2026, that allows content from users' galleries to be processed in the cloud
• The fine is equivalent to about 0.47 per cent of the group's global revenue, the authority said
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