Jurisdiction-specific data protection, defamation law, and removal process information for Italy. Last reviewed 2025.
Garante per la protezione dei dati personali (Garante Privacy) is the supervisory authority for data protection in Italy. Individuals can file erasure and data-related complaints directly with this authority.
GDPR (EU 2016/679) and the Personal Data Protection Code (Codice in materia di protezione dei dati personali, Legislative Decree 196/2003, amended by Legislative Decree 101/2018)
Italy's Garante Privacy is one of the most active data protection authorities in Europe. It has issued significant GDPR fines and published extensive guidance on the right to erasure for online content. Italy was an early participant in EU-level RTBF case law.
Italian defamation law is codified in the Criminal Code (Codice Penale), Articles 595-596bis. Criminal defamation (diffamazione) is a criminal offence. Online defamation is treated as aggravated defamation with increased penalties, potentially including imprisonment.
Criminal complaints for defamation are filed with the Procura (public prosecutor). The Garante handles data erasure complaints. Italian courts can issue provvedimenti d'urgenza (urgent orders) for content removal. AGCOM (the communications regulator) also has online content oversight powers.
Common Italian sources requiring removal include Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica, La Stampa, Il Sole 24 Ore, ANSA news agency, Fanpage.it, and regional outlets across Italy's 20 regions.
Italy's criminal defamation law creates strong leverage for content removal â a criminal complaint against a publisher often prompts voluntary removal to avoid prosecution. For non-defamatory privacy content, GDPR erasure via the Garante is the standard and well-tested route.