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Italy fines Meta €805m over accessing users' photos
BBC • • world
Key Points:
- Italy's Data Protection Authority fined Meta for not properly informing about 20 million smartphone users that Facebook accessed their photos and videos via a feature suggesting content for posts.
- The fine is among the largest ever imposed on a tech giant by an Italian regulator, citing unclear prior notice about Facebook's app-wide authorization to access photo galleries.
- Meta disagreed with the ruling, stating the feature requires user permission and helps people post content, adding users can change permissions anytime in their settings.
- The regulator considered the large number of affected users and that the issue persists for those who haven’t updated the app or consented to the system.
- This fine follows Meta’s largest-ever penalty last month, when a US judge ordered the company to pay $25 billion for misleading the public about Facebook user data handling.
