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Italy's data protection authority has imposed an €805 million ($887 million) fine on Meta Platforms after finding that the company accessed photos and videos belonging to Android users without obtaining their consent or notifying them.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the authority explained that Meta accessed users' personal photo galleries through a feature in the Facebook application that recommends images and videos from their private galleries for potential publication on the platform.

Meta Given 60 Days to Change Privacy Settings

The Italian regulator has required Meta to modify the feature so that it is no longer enabled by default and users are asked to provide separate consent before their personal gallery content can be accessed.

The company has been given 60 days to implement the required changes, reinforcing the importance of transparency and user control over personal information.

Investigation Did Not Cover AI Training

The authority clarified that its investigation, which began in 2025, did not examine whether the content could have been used to train artificial intelligence models.

Meta has denied using the photos and videos for AI training purposes.

The regulator also reserved the right to separately assess another feature introduced by the company in 2026, which allows online processing of content stored in users' photo galleries.

Fine Represents 0.47% of Meta's Global Revenue

According to the Italian authority, the €805 million penalty represents approximately 0.47% of Meta Group's worldwide revenue.

The case highlights regulatory scrutiny over how digital platforms access personal content and the importance of obtaining clear user consent before processing private data.