Italy has imposed an €805 million fine on Meta Platforms after its data protection authority found that the company accessed Android users’ photographs and videos without obtaining their consent or adequately informing them. The decision adds another regulatory challenge for Meta as authorities continue to scrutinize how large technology platforms access and process personal data.

Italian Regulator Targets Facebook Gallery Feature

Italy’s data protection agency said Meta accessed photos and videos stored in Android users’ personal galleries through a Facebook app feature that suggested content users could share on the platform. According to the authority, the company did not obtain the required consent or provide sufficient information about the access.

The investigation, which began in 2025, resulted in a penalty of €805 million, equivalent to approximately 0.47% of Meta’s global revenue, according to the authority. Meta was not immediately available for comment on the decision.

Meta Given 60 Days to Change the Feature

The Italian regulator said Meta has 60 days to disable the feature by default and seek consent from users separately. The requirement puts the company under pressure to modify how Facebook handles access to personal gallery content on Android devices.

The regulatory action also highlights the increasing importance of consent mechanisms as technology companies integrate personal content into social-media services. For Meta, changes to how users grant access could affect the operation of features designed to encourage content discovery and sharing.

AI Use Not Covered by Current Investigation

The Italian authority said its investigation did not cover whether the content was used to train artificial intelligence models. Meta has denied using the material for that purpose, according to the regulator.

However, the authority reserved the right to separately assess a new feature launched in 2026 that allows content from users’ galleries to be processed in the cloud. That leaves open the possibility of additional regulatory scrutiny as Meta expands the use of cloud-based processing and AI-related technologies.

What Investors Will Watch Next

The immediate issue for Meta is compliance with the Italian authority’s 60-day requirement and how the company responds to the regulator’s findings. The separate possibility of scrutiny over cloud processing also creates another regulatory variable for the company’s data practices.

For investors, the broader issue is how increasingly strict data-consent requirements could affect Meta’s product development and use of personal content. The Italian decision reinforces the need to monitor regulatory treatment of user data, consent standards and AI-related data practices as Meta continues expanding its technology ecosystem.