Italy fines Meta €805 million for scanning 20 million users' photos

Meta faces a massive financial penalty after Italian regulators fined the social media giant 805 million euros on Friday. The European Commission’s national data protection authority determined that the company violated privacy laws by accessing the photo libraries of approximately 20 million smartphone users without obtaining their specific, informed consent. This substantial sum, equivalent to roughly 670 million pounds or 887 million dollars, stands as one of the largest fines ever imposed on a technology corporation by an Italian authority. The regulator stated that the violation stemmed from a feature within the Facebook application that automatically scanned users’ device galleries to suggest photos and videos for potential posts.

The core of the dispute lies in how Meta requested and framed user permissions. The company had asked Android users to grant a single, broad authorization for access to their media files. However, Italian officials argued that the accompanying notice failed to clearly explain that this permission would also allow Facebook to analyze the contents of the gallery to generate content suggestions. The regulator emphasized the scale of the breach, noting that the high number of affected individuals and the ongoing nature of the data access for users who had not yet updated their apps or revoked consent were significant factors in determining the fine’s severity. Additionally, the authority cited Meta’s lack of cooperation during the investigation as a further aggravating circumstance.

Meta has responded with strong resistance, labeling the regulator’s assessment as factually incorrect and legally flawed. In a statement to the BBC, a company spokesperson described the feature as a straightforward tool designed to help people share their memories more easily. The company insisted that users must explicitly grant permission on their devices before the feature can operate and that this permission can be adjusted or removed at any time through standard device settings. Meta characterized the 805 million euro penalty as disproportionate and has announced its intention to appeal the decision. The company maintains that it complied with standard digital practices and that the regulator misinterpreted the scope of the permissions granted.

This ruling comes at a turbulent time for the social media giant, which is currently grappling with other major legal challenges. Just last month, a US judge in New Mexico ordered Meta to pay a record-breaking 25 billion dollars after finding that the company had spent years misleading the public about its handling of user data. That previous ruling was part of a broader antitrust case regarding business practices and data harvesting. The new Italian fine adds another layer of regulatory pressure, signaling that European data protection laws are being applied with increasing rigor against big tech companies. The next 60 days are critical, as Meta is required to disable the photo suggestion feature by default and seek separate, granular consent from users. Failure to comply could result in further penalties, while a successful appeal could set a precedent for how tech companies navigate privacy regulations across different jurisdictions.