Italy orders Meta to pay $887M for not obtaining specific consent over user photos

The Italian Data Protection Authority (IDPA) has hit Meta with one of its highest fines to date. According to the Italian data regulatory body, Meta failed to specifically disclose that it had access to user photos, videos and the related metadata for those using the Facebook app on Android devices. The IDPA fined Meta Platforms Ireland Limited 805 million euros, or approximately $887 million, which represents 0.47 percent of the company's global revenue.

For users, the "Camera roll sharing suggestions" recommends users which photos or videos to post on Facebook from their phone's photo library. The Italian authority said that access to this photo gallery is granted from a single permission request that applies to the entire app, despite the multiple functions it covers. The IDPA argued that this method allows Meta broad ongoing access without "obtaining specific consent and without properly informing" its users.

Beyond the lack of specific consent, the IDPA argued that the feature shouldn't be on by default and that Meta should make clear that its users are authorizing media gallery access for post suggestions. The Italian data watchdog said it launched the investigation in July 2025, following a complaint from the Bolzano Consumer Protection Centre.

Meta has 60 days to get "separate and specific" user consent for this feature while explaining what it's for and how to disable it. The tech giant also has to switch the feature to off by default, even for those who have already agreed to the permission request. We reached out to Meta for comment and will update the story when we hear back. Meta is also currently dealing with a ruling from a New Mexico judge requiring the social media giant to pay $25 billion in penalties as a result of the personal data harvesting scandal with Cambridge Analytica.