Italy to increase inspections this year

In 2014, the Garante’s investigations will concentrate on especially on overseas call centres and mobile payment systems, Italy’s Data Protection Authority has announced. The inspection plan for the first six months of 2014 is to focus on the areas identified last year, for example, large public databases, management of public networks for wi-fi access, telephone marketing, and mobile payments. Call centres outsourced to non-EU countries will be given special attention. The Garante also plans to conduct investigations on compliance with the new requirements to report data breaches for telephone companies and Internet service providers.

Last year, the Garante conducted 411 investigations in various sectors, which is a 4% increase on 2012, and the fines imposed reached some 4 million euros altogether.

The Garante is able to carry out a large number of audits as it collaborates with the Special Unit of the Guardia di Finanza, which is an Italian law enforcement agency with offices all over Italy, under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance.

See the Garante newsletter of 25 February (in Italian).