Meta given 60 days to review access to photos in Italy
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Punch, SeneNews and P.M. News
Italy’s data protection authority fined Meta €805 million for accessing photos and videos of about 20 million Android users without specific consent. It gave the company 60 days to disable photo suggestions by default and seek separate consent, according to the BBC as reported by Punch.
Italy’s data protection authority has given Meta 60 days to disable by default a Facebook feature that suggests photos and videos stored in Android phone galleries, following an €805 million fine against the US group. The regulator also asked Meta to obtain separate consent and clearly explain how the images are used, according to the BBC.
The feature, launched in 2023 and activated by default, used the general permission granted to Facebook to access the phone gallery. The investigation covered about 20 million Android users and concluded that the information provided did not sufficiently explain that the permission also covered content suggestions, according to the Italian authority.
Meta has announced its intention to appeal. A group spokesperson disputed the assessment of the facts, the interpretation of the legislation and the amount of the penalty, while asserting that users must authorise access to photos in their device settings and can withdraw that authorisation at any time, according to the BBC.
The Italian fine of €805 million was announced on 14 November. The new decision now gives Meta 60 days to change how the feature concerned operates.
