ROME: Italy’s competition authority on Wednesday fined global tech giant Meta $3.8 million (€3.5 million) for a lack of transparency in its use of data and management of Instagram and Facebook accounts.
The AGCM watchdog said the fine was for “unfair commercial practices.”
“Meta failed... to immediately inform users registered to Instagram via the web of the use of their personal data for commercial purposes,” it said in a statement.
It also said Meta “did not accurately manage” the suspension of users’ Facebook and Instagram accounts.
“In particular, Meta did not indicate how it decided to suspend Facebook accounts, whether as a result of an automated or ‘human’ review,” the watchdog said.
And Meta “did not provide Facebook and Instagram users with information on the possibility of contesting the suspension,” including using an out-of-court dispute resolution body or a judge, it said.
In addition, it said, Meta set a short deadline of just 30 days for consumers to challenge the suspension.
The Italian watchdog said that since it had started investigating, Meta had changed its practices.
In a statement, Meta said it disagreed with the decision and “are assessing our options.”
“Since August 2023, we have implemented several changes for Italian users that address the (authority’s) concerns,” it said.
This includes “increased transparency on how we use data to show advertising on Instagram and provided enhanced information and options on how users can appeal account suspensions,” it said.
“We welcome the (authority’s) acknowledgement of the effectiveness of our tools to help users regain access to their accounts.”
Italy fines Meta $3.8 million over data use, account transparency
https://arab.news/2dwqz
Italy fines Meta $3.8 million over data use, account transparency
- Italy’s competition authority said the fine was for ‘unfair commercial practices’
Israeli court overturns conviction of officer who assaulted Palestinian journalist, citing ‘Oct. 7 PTSD’
- Judge sentenced Yitzhak Sofer to 300 hours of community service, saying officer “devoted his life to Israel’s security” and conviction was “disproportionate to severity of his actions”
- Footage shows Sofer throwing photojournalist Mustafa Alkharouf to the ground, and repeatedly beating and kicking him while he covered Palestinian gatherings near Al-Aqsa Mosque
LONDON: An Israeli court overturned the conviction of a border police officer who assaulted a Palestinian journalist, ruling his actions were influenced by post-traumatic stress disorder from serving during the Oct. 7 2023 attacks.
On Tuesday, the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court sentenced officer Yitzhak Sofer to 300 hours of community service for assaulting Anadolu Agency photojournalist Mustafa Alkharouf in occupied East Jerusalem in December 2023.
Footage shows Sofer and other officers drawing weapons, throwing Alkharouf to the ground, and repeatedly beating and kicking him while he covered Palestinian gatherings near Al-Aqsa Mosque amid heavy restrictions.
Alkharouf was hospitalized with facial and body injuries. His cameraman, Faiz Abu Ramila, was also attacked.
Anadolu photojournalist Mustafa Alkharouf violently attacked by Israeli army in occupied East Jerusalem while covering Palestinian prayers near Al-Aqsa Mosque
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) December 15, 2023
Incident highlights ongoing restrictions on Friday prayers and press freedom in region https://t.co/exT6XqjEaA pic.twitter.com/pqugK9HnOt
Sofer had been convicted in September 2024 of assault causing bodily harm (acquitted of threats) and initially faced six months’ community service, as recommended by Mahash, the Justice Ministry’s police misconduct unit.
Judge Amir Shaked accepted the defense request to cancel the conviction, replacing it with community service.
He cited Sofer’s PTSD from responding to the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack, noting the officer had “no prior criminal record” and had “devoted his life to Israel’s security.”
“The court cannot ignore this when considering whether the defendant’s conviction should stand,” he said, adding that while the incident is “serious and does cross the criminal threshold,” the conviction in place could cause Sofer harm “disproportionate to the severity of his actions.”
The ruling comes amid surging attacks on journalists in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza since Israel’s war on Gaza began.
The Committee to Protect Journalists reported Israel responsible for two-thirds of the 129 media workers killed worldwide in 2025, the deadliest year on record, citing a “persistent culture of impunity” and lack of transparent probes.
Reporters Without Borders called the Israeli army the “worst enemy of journalists” in its 2025 report, with nearly half of global reporter deaths in Gaza.
Foreign journalists face raids, arrests and intimidation. In late January 2026, Israel’s Supreme Court granted a delay on ruling a ban on foreign media access to Gaza.
