Meta fined €805 million for accessing 20 million Android galleries

Italy's Data Protection Authority has fined Meta 805 million euros (approximately $887 million) for accessing Android users' photos without specific permission. The decision is among the largest fines ever issued by an Italian regulator to a technology company.

According to the authority's statement, Meta failed to properly inform users that it accessed the photos and videos of approximately 20 million smartphone users through a feature in the Facebook app. The feature suggests photos and videos from a user's phone gallery as post ideas.

Facebook accessed the photo gallery

Facebook requested access to users' photo galleries with a single app-wide permission. The Italian regulator noted that the notice shown before this permission did not clearly state that it would also allow Facebook to generate suggestions based on the photos in the gallery. The authority gave Meta 60 days to turn off the feature by default and ask users for separate permission.

The regulator stated that when determining the fine amount, it took into account the high number of affected individuals and ongoing access for users of older app versions and those who had previously consented to the system. The statement also cited Meta's lack of cooperation among the reasons. Meta has not yet responded to the BBC's request for comment on the matter.

Meanwhile, Meta, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, received the largest fine in its history in the US last month over its data policies. A US judge in New Mexico ordered the company, which was found to have misled the public for years about how it processed Facebook user data, to pay $25 billion (£18.6 billion).