The Italian data protection authority imposed the penalty after finding the company accessed media via a Facebook gallery suggestion feature.
Italy's data protection authority fined Meta Platforms $887 million on Saturday for accessing photographs and videos of Android users without obtaining specific consent or properly informing them, according to reports by Firstpost, BBC News and The Times of India.
The penalty relates to a Facebook gallery suggestions feature available since 2023, which suggests media from a user's phone gallery as post ideas. The regulator stated that Meta requested gallery access through a single authorisation for the entire app, preceded by a generic notice that did not clearly explain the feature's purpose.
The authority noted that approximately 20 million Android users in Italy were affected. In determining the fine, the regulator cited the high number of people affected, the ongoing nature of the infringement for those who have not updated the app, and Meta's lack of cooperation during the investigation.
Meta said it would appeal the decision and expressed strong disagreement with the assessment and the fine level. A company spokesperson told the BBC that the feature is straightforward and requires device permission that users can change at any time via settings.
The regulator has given Meta 60 days to disable the feature by default and seek separate, specific consent from users. Meta must also clearly signpost how the feature uses the photo gallery and how to disable it.
