Italy fines Meta 805 million euros for unauthorized Android gallery access

Italy's data protection authority fined Meta Platforms 805 million euros on November 14, 2026, for accessing Android user gallery content without proper consent. The regulatory action targets a Facebook feature that accessed photos and videos from the devices of approximately 20 million Android users in Italy. The fine represents approximately 0.47% of the global revenue of Meta Platforms.

Unauthorized gallery access

The investigation into the data practices of Meta Platforms began in July 2025 following a complaint from the Bolzano Consumer Defense Center. The regulator determined that a Facebook feature titled "Get suggestions from gallery when browsing Facebook," which was introduced in 2023, violated privacy standards. This feature was enabled by default and utilized a single app-wide permission to access user galleries for multiple purposes rather than seeking specific consent for each instance.

The authority noted that Meta Platforms lacked sufficient cooperation during the investigation, which served as a factor in determining the final amount of the fine. The penalty was specifically imposed on Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, an entity that has challenged the jurisdiction of the Italian regulator. A Meta spokesperson stated that the company disagrees with the decision and believes the assessment of facts, law interpretation, and penalty size are disproportionate. The spokesperson also maintained that users must grant permission on their devices before the feature operates.

Compliance and future investigations

Meta Platforms has been given 60 days to disable the feature by default and to implement a separate consent request for the functionality. While the current investigation focused on the 2023 feature, the authority reserved the right to separately assess a new feature launched in 2026 that processes gallery content in the cloud. The current investigation did not cover the potential use of user content to train artificial intelligence models.

This regulatory action follows other significant legal challenges regarding data handling. In a separate matter, a New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion regarding the handling of user data. The current fine of 805 million euros is equivalent to approximately $887 million or 1.14 billion Singapore dollars.

Regulatory context

The scale of the fine reflects ongoing scrutiny of large technology companies by European regulators. In 2021, Amazon received a fine of over 1.1 billion euros for competition law breaches, though that amount was later reduced to 752 million euros on appeal. The current investigation into Meta Platforms highlights the increasing emphasis on explicit user consent for accessing sensitive media files on mobile operating systems.

Glossary

• Italy's data protection authority — This is a regulatory body that seeks information on the collection and use of personal data. It has the authority to order companies to block services if they fail to address privacy policy concerns.
• Meta Platforms Ireland Limited — This is Meta's Irish subsidiary, formerly known as Facebook Ireland Limited. It is the entity that users outside of the U.S. and Canada contract with.
• Android — Android is a mobile operating system. It is a platform used by devices that can host various applications.