Italy fines Meta $887 million over Facebook gallery access
The Italian data protection authority says Facebook's photo suggestion feature used Android users' gallery data without separate consent and orders changes within 60 days.
Italy's data protection authority fined Meta $887 million on 14 November 2026, saying Facebook's photo suggestion feature accessed Android users' photos and videos without specific consent, according to aitimes.com. The regulator estimated that about 20 million Android users in Italy are affected.
The feature, labelled "Get suggestions from gallery when browsing Facebook," was enabled by default. The authority said users were not asked separately and clearly before their personal gallery data was used.
Alongside the fine, the regulator ordered Meta to turn the feature off by default and to set up a separate, clear consent procedure within 60 days.
Meta to appeal
Meta said it will appeal the decision and called the fine excessive. The company argued that users must grant device permission for the feature to work and can change that permission in their settings.
The feature has been offered since 2023, and the investigation began in 2025. The authority said the probe did not cover whether photos and videos were used to train AI models. The fine equals about 0.47% of Meta Group's global revenue.
Quick answers
How much did Italy fine Meta?
Italy's data protection authority fined Meta $887 million over Facebook's gallery suggestion feature.
What did the regulator order Meta to do?
Meta must disable the feature by default and set up a separate, clear consent procedure within 60 days.
Will Meta appeal the fine?
Yes. Meta said it will appeal and called the fine excessive.