Italy’s watchdog says the app accessed Android users’ photos and videos without specific, informed consent
Italy’s privacy watchdog has fined Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, €805 million ($887 million) over Facebook’s access to users’ photos and videos on Android devices without obtaining informed consent.
In a statement on Saturday, the Italian Data Protection Authority said it had launched an investigation in July 2025 into a Facebook feature that suggests photos and videos from users’ phone galleries for posting on the platform.
According to the regulator, the feature is enabled by default through a single permission covering multiple functions. The authorization notice, which asks users to consent to “enable other features,” fails to make clear that they are also allowing Facebook to suggest content from their galleries, the watchdog said.
Once full permission is granted, the app can continuously access the device’s entire photo and video archive, with users and regulators unable to verify what information is actually being accessed or used, according to the regulator.
The watchdog gave Meta 60 days to change how its Facebook app requests consent for the feature and explicitly inform users about its purpose, while keeping it disabled by default unless they provide separate, informed consent.
The authority said the breach potentially affected a significant number of people, noting that Italy has an estimated 20 million Android users. It also accused Meta of failing to cooperate with the investigation.
The regulator said it may separately investigate a feature introduced earlier this year that allows cloud processing of Facebook users’ gallery content.
A Meta spokesperson said the company would appeal the “disproportionate” fine.
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