Italy Meta Fine: $887m Penalty Over Facebook Photos
Italy has fined Meta €805 million, about $887 million, after finding that Facebook read Android users’ photos and videos without their consent. The Italy Meta fine is the largest ever imposed by Italy’s data protection authority.
Italy’s data protection authority, the Garante, announced the fine on Saturday, 14 November. It said the Facebook app on Android phones had accessed photos, videos and associated metadata stored on Italian users’ smartphones “without specific consent and without informing them”.
The case centres on a Facebook feature called “Get suggestions from gallery when browsing Facebook”. It suggests photos and videos from a phone’s gallery that the user could post while browsing. The Garante said the app’s consent process was too generic, so users could not fully understand the permissions they were granting. The suggestions option was also switched on by default.
Italy Meta fine: what Facebook did wrong
The Garante said the problem was not a single photo, but a system that reached into people’s galleries as a matter of routine. Around 20 million Android users in Italy could have been affected, the authority said.
The regulator also cited Meta’s “lack of cooperation” during the investigation, and noted that an earlier violation, fined in 2019, counted against the company when the penalty was set.
The figure of €805 million is by far the largest fine the Italian regulator has ever imposed. It is equal to about 0.47 per cent of Meta’s global revenue.
Meta has 60 days to disable the feature by default and to seek users’ consent separately before it can use the feature again. It must also fix the unclear consent notice that users see. A Meta spokesperson later said the company would appeal, strongly disagreeing with the decision.
What it means for Facebook users in Pakistan
The same Facebook app runs on Android phones in Pakistan, so the case is a warning for users here too. Many people grant an app access to their photos once and never check it again, yet a helpful-looking feature can quietly scan a whole gallery.
Users who do not want Facebook to look through their photos can open the app’s settings, find the gallery suggestions option and switch it off. Our guides explain how to check what your phone can hear and see: Is your phone listening to you, and how to stop microphone access and how to hide photos and files on your phone.
A record fine, but a small share of revenue
The penalty is a record for Italy, yet less than half of one per cent of Meta’s yearly revenue. Fines alone rarely change big platforms, so regulators now pair penalties with orders to change the product itself.
The investigation, which began in 2025, did not cover whether the photos were used to train artificial intelligence models. Meta has denied using the material in that way. The Garante said it reserved the right to assess separately a newer feature, launched in 2026, that lets gallery content be processed in the cloud.
Europe keeps tightening the rules
Earlier this month, the EU charged TikTok over its recommendation algorithm, in a case about how the app keeps users scrolling. Regulators are now looking closely at the design choices behind popular apps, not just at data breaches.
In Pakistan, the Federal Constitutional Court has been asked to consider curbs on social media use by children under 16. The Italian case shows the other side of the same question: what apps may do with data they already collect.
For Meta, the appeal will decide whether the fine stands. For users, the lesson is simpler: check what your apps can see, and switch off access you do not need.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Italy fine Meta?
Italy fined Meta €805 million, about $887 million, after the Facebook app on Android phones accessed Italian users’ photos and videos without specific consent or notice.
Which Facebook feature was involved?
The feature is called “Get suggestions from gallery when browsing Facebook”. It suggests photos and videos from the phone’s gallery for posting while browsing, and it was switched on by default.
How many users were affected?
The Garante suggested that roughly 20 million Android users in Italy could have been affected by the feature.
What must Meta do now?
Meta has 60 days to disable the feature by default, seek separate consent, and fix the unclear notice. A Meta spokesperson said the company would appeal.
Does the case involve AI training?
No. The investigation did not cover whether the photos were used to train artificial intelligence models, which Meta denied. The Garante may assess separately a 2026 feature that processes gallery content in the cloud.
