The penalty follows an investigation by Italy’s Data Protection Authority, which found that approximately 20 million smartphone users were affected by a Facebook feature that allegedly failed to adequately explain how their personal media would be used.
Under the regulator’s directive, Meta has 60 days to disable the feature by default and introduce a separate consent process, requiring users to explicitly authorise the use of photos and videos stored in their phone galleries.
At the centre of the dispute is a Facebook tool designed to suggest photos and videos from users’ phone galleries as potential content for social media posts. The platform reportedly sought access to users’ entire photo galleries through a single general permission request.
However, Italy’s data protection authority argued that the information presented to users did not sufficiently disclose that their personal images and videos would also be analysed to generate content suggestions.
In explaining its decision, the regulator pointed to the significant number of people affected, the continued operation of the practice among users who had not updated their applications or had previously granted permission, and what it described as Meta’s “lack of co-operation.”
The €805 million penalty, equivalent to approximately £670 million or $887 million, ranks among the largest fines imposed on a technology company by an Italian regulatory authority.
The BBC reported that it had contacted Meta for comments on the decision, although the company’s response was not immediately available.
The latest regulatory action adds to Meta’s growing legal challenges over its handling of personal data and privacy concerns.
It comes barely a month after the technology giant was ordered to pay $25 billion (£18.6 billion) in the United States following a ruling by a judge in New Mexico.
The court found that Meta had spent years misleading the public about how it handled Facebook users’ personal information, further intensifying scrutiny of the company’s data protection practices.