Italy fines Meta €805m over access to users’ photos without consent

Résumé détaillé

Italian regulators have fined Meta €805 million for accessing photos and videos of 20 million Android users without their specific consent for a feature. Read More:…

According to the BBC, Italy’s Data Protection Authority announced the penalty on Saturday, following an investigation into how Facebook accessed users’ phone galleries through a feature that suggests photos and videos for posts.

The regulator said Meta failed to adequately inform users that granting Facebook access to their photo galleries would also allow the platform to generate content suggestions using images and videos stored on their devices.

The investigation found that Facebook relied on a single app-wide permission to access users’ galleries, without clearly explaining that the authorisation covered the photo suggestion feature.

The feature, known as “Get suggestions from gallery when browsing Facebook”, was introduced in 2023 and was enabled by default.

It also said the high number of people affected, the duration of the alleged violation and Meta’s lack of cooperation during the investigation were considered when determining the fine.

The regulator noted that the practice remained ongoing for users who had not updated their applications, as well as those who had previously granted permission under the existing system.

Meta has strongly disagreed with the decision and said it plans to appeal.

A company spokesperson told the BBC that the regulator’s assessment of the facts, its interpretation of the law and the size of the penalty were disproportionate.

Meta maintained that the feature was designed to make it easier for users to share photographs and videos on Facebook.

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