ROME, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Italian Data Protection Authority said on Saturday it had fined Meta Platforms Ireland Limited 805 million euros (887 million U.S. dollars) for accessing photos, videos and related metadata stored on Italian users' smartphones without their consent through its Facebook app for Android devices.
The authority said the penalty concerns a feature called "Get suggestions from your gallery when you browse Facebook," available since 2023, which suggests photos and videos from users' phone galleries for them to post while browsing the app.
The investigation began in July 2025, when the authority carried out a technical analysis following a complaint from the Consumers' and Users' Protection Centre of Bolzano.
The watchdog said Meta breached Article 122 of Italy's Privacy Code, which protects the smartphone as part of a person's private sphere. Under the provisions, accessing information stored on a smartphone requires informed consent, regardless of whether the data are transmitted or any damage occurs.
Under the decision, Meta must, within 60 days, disable the feature by default and seek consent through a separate, specific request. The company must clearly explain the feature's purpose, that it involves access to the gallery, and how users can disable it. ■