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Meta fined $887M in Italy over Android gallery photos, videos on Facebook
ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos • • business
Key Points:
- Italy imposed an €805 million ($887 million) fine on Meta for using photos and videos from Android users' galleries on Facebook without specific consent or adequate disclosure.
- The Italian Data Protection Authority found that the feature "Get suggestions from gallery when browsing Facebook" violated European privacy laws requiring free and informed consent for accessing private smartphone data.
- The feature was enabled by default, with Facebook requesting gallery access through a single permission covering multiple app functions, which investigators deemed inappropriate.
- Meta was given 60 days to disable the feature and obtain separate consent for its use, with Italy citing approximately 20 million Android users affected.
- The fine also reflected Meta's lack of cooperation during the investigation and was imposed on Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, which had challenged Italy's jurisdiction.
