Italy fined Meta €805 million for accessing Android users' photo galleries without proper consent.

What it means

Italy's data protection authority, the Garante, has fined Meta €805 million (about $887 million) for violating privacy laws by accessing Android users' photo and video galleries through the Facebook app without obtaining proper consent. The regulator found that Meta's practice of automatically scanning users' photos to suggest tags or content was not legally justified, and it has given Meta 60 days to disable the feature. This is one of the largest fines ever imposed under Europe's GDPR regime.

Accuracy & sourcesGrounded

The claim is solid and well-sourced. Multiple reputable outlets (BBC, Reuters, Politico, Al Jazeera) report the same figure and basis, all citing the Italian Data Protection Authority (Garante) as the primary source. The reporting sits close to the official decision, and the fine amount is consistent across sources, though some convert to different currencies (€805m = ~$887m = ~£670m).

How new

Genuinely new: the fine was announced on 14 November 2026, and all coverage dates from that day.

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