Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has been fined €805 million (approximately $887 million) by Italian regulators for accessing millions of Android users’ photos and videos without obtaining specific, informed consent.
The penalty, announced on November 14, 2026, follows an investigation by Italy’s Data Protection Authority, which found that a feature within the Facebook app allowed access to users’ personal photo galleries without clearly explaining how their content could be used.
According to regulators, approximately 20 million Android users in Italy were potentially affected, making the case one of the country’s largest privacy enforcement actions against a major technology company.
How Did Facebook Access Users’ Photos?
The investigation focused on a Facebook feature called Get suggestions from gallery when browsing Facebook, introduced in 2023.
The feature suggests photos and videos stored on a user’s smartphone that they might want to share on Facebook.
However, Italian regulators discovered that Facebook requested permission to access personal photo galleries through a general authorisation covering multiple app functions.
The permission request did not clearly explain that Facebook could also examine gallery content to generate posting suggestions.
Regulators also found that the feature was enabled by default, raising concerns about whether users understood the extent of the access they were granting.
The authority concluded that Meta had failed to meet the legal requirements for obtaining specific and informed consent.
Meta Disagrees and Plans to Appeal
Meta has strongly rejected the regulator’s findings and confirmed that it intends to appeal the decision.
The company argues that the feature simply helps Facebook users share photos and videos more conveniently.
According to Meta, users must first grant permission through their smartphones before the feature can operate, and they can withdraw that permission through their device settings.
The company has also described the financial penalty as disproportionate.
However, Italian regulators maintain that a general device permission is insufficient when users have not been clearly informed about the specific purpose for which their personal content will be accessed.
Italy Orders Meta to Change Facebook’s Privacy Settings
Following the investigation, Italian authorities have instructed Meta to change how the Facebook feature operates.
The company has been given 60 days to disable the feature by default and introduce a separate consent request that clearly explains why access to personal photo galleries is needed.
Regulators also highlighted the number of affected users, the duration of the alleged violation and Meta’s limited cooperation during the investigation as factors behind the substantial fine.
The €805 million penalty represents approximately 0.47% of Meta’s global annual revenue. Garante Privacy
Were Users’ Photos Used to Train Artificial Intelligence?
The case has also raised questions about whether personal photographs could be used to train artificial intelligence systems.
However, Italian regulators clarified that the investigation did not examine whether the photos or videos were used for AI training, a practice Meta has denied in relation to the feature.
Authorities have separately indicated that they may examine a newer Facebook feature introduced in 2026 that allows gallery content to be processed using cloud technology.
Therefore, the fine should not be interpreted as evidence that Facebook used these photographs to train AI models.
What Does This Mean for Facebook Users?
The case highlights the importance of understanding the permissions granted to smartphone applications.
Although the regulatory action concerns Facebook’s Android users in Italy, it serves as a reminder to social media users worldwide to review which applications can access their photos, videos and other personal information.
Android users can generally review or restrict Facebook’s access to their photo galleries through their phone’s application permission settings. The precise options depend on the device and Android version.
As regulators increasingly scrutinise how technology companies collect and process personal information, the Meta case highlights a growing demand for transparency and stronger protection of digital privacy.
With an $887 million fine and mandatory privacy changes ahead, Meta faces another significant challenge over how Facebook handles users’ personal data.
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