ROME (Azat TV) – On Saturday, November 15, 2026, Italy’s data protection agency announced a penalty of €805 million, equivalent to $887 million, against Facebook parent company Meta for accessing Android users’ photos, videos, and metadata without specific consent or proper disclosure. The Guardian reported that the fine was issued by the Italian Data Protection Authority following an investigation into the Facebook application for Android devices and its handling of user media files.
According to the regulatory authority, the infringement centered on a gallery suggestions feature introduced in 2023. This function suggests photos and videos from a user’s phone gallery as posting ideas while browsing Facebook. Investigators found that Meta requested gallery access through a single, bundled authorization covering multiple application functions under a generic notice, which did not allow users to realize they were authorizing photo gallery access for post suggestions. The Manila Times noted that the feature violated European privacy directives incorporated into Italian law, which protect smartphones as part of the private sphere and demand free and informed consent.
Scope of the Penalty and Affected Users
The Italian authority stated that approximately 20 million Android users in Italy were affected by the practice. In calculating the penalty, regulators took into account both the high number of affected individuals and the ongoing nature of the infringement for users who had not updated the application or who had previously granted system permission. Furthermore, the agency cited Meta’s lack of cooperation during the investigation as a factor that increased the severity of the sanction.
The fine represents approximately 0.4% to 0.47% of Meta’s global annual turnover, which reached $201 billion in 2025 alongside a net profit of $60.5 billion. The penalty was officially levied against Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, the company’s main European subsidiary, which reportedly challenged Italy’s jurisdiction during the proceedings.
Regulatory Demands and Compliance Timeline
Under the authority’s ruling, Meta has been given a 60-day window to disable the feature by default for users in Italy. To continue offering gallery suggestions, the company must institute a separate and specific request for consent that clearly explains the feature’s function—specifically that it involves access to the user’s photo gallery—and provides clear instructions on how to disable it.
This ruling marks one of the largest financial penalties imposed by an Italian authority on a major technology company. It follows previous landmark enforcement actions in Europe, such as a €1.1 billion fine issued against Amazon in 2021 for competition law breaches, which was later reduced to €752 million on appeal. It also arrives closely on the heels of a separate late October judgment in New Mexico, where authorities ordered Meta to pay $25 billion over its handling of user data.
Meta Response and Broader Stakes
Meta strongly contested the Italian regulator’s decision and announced its intention to appeal. A company spokesperson stated that Meta strongly disagreed with the assessment and characterized the financial penalty as disproportionate. The company maintained that its practices complied with applicable regulations, setting up a legal clash over European data consent standards.
Legal experts and privacy advocates note that the case highlights intensifying regulatory scrutiny across European jurisdictions regarding bundled permissions and default opt-in mechanisms. As enforcement bodies increasingly target platform features that aggregate personal media without explicit, granular opt-ins, technology firms face mounting pressure to restructure user onboarding flows across the European Economic Area.