Finance
Italy's Privacy Watchdog Fines Poste Italiane More Than 12.5 Million Euros
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 20, 2026
1 min readLast updated: April 20, 2026
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Italy’s data protection authority fined Poste Italiane and Postepay €12.5 million for excessive and unlawful mobile‑app data processing, citing intrusive anti‑fraud measures and GDPR breaches including lack of user information and DPIA.
Italy Fines Poste Italiane Over €12.5 Million for Privacy Law Violations
Overview of the Privacy Law Violations and Fines
Details of the Fine
ROME, April 20 (Reuters) - Italy's privacy watchdog said on Monday it had fined Poste Italiane and its payments card unit Postepay a total of more than 12.5 million euros ($14.7 million) for illicit processing of the personal data of millions of users.
Company Response
Poste, which offers financial and payment services beyond its traditional postal services, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Watchdog Findings
Intrusive App Features
The Italian data watchdog said some features of Poste's mobile apps, aimed at identifying malicious software, were excessively intrusive and not strictly necessary for fraud‑prevention purposes.
Data Protection Breaches
Inadequate User Information
The watchdog also said it had identified several breaches of data protection law, including inadequate user information and the absence of a proper data protection impact assessment.
Lack of Data Protection Impact Assessment
Additional Information
($1 = 0.8483 euros)
(Reporting by Alvise Armellini and Elvira Pollina, editing by Gavin Jones)
Key Takeaways
- •Italy’s privacy watchdog (Garante) imposed a €12.5 million fine on Poste Italiane and Postepay for illicit processing of user data, notably via intrusive mobile‑app features not strictly necessary for fraud prevention.
- •The Authority found violations including insufficient transparency to users and failure to conduct a proper Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA).
- •This fine follows a wave of recent GDPR enforcement actions in Italy, such as a €31.8 million penalty against Intesa Sanpaolo for data‑security failures and €1.25 million for ITA Airways/Alitalia GDPR breaches.
Frequently Asked Questions about Italy's privacy watchdog fines Poste Italiane more than 12.5 million euros
1Why was Poste Italiane fined by Italy's privacy watchdog?
Poste Italiane was fined for illicit processing of users' personal data and breaches of data protection law, including intrusive app features and inadequate user information.
2How much was the total fine imposed on Poste Italiane and Postepay?
The total fine imposed was more than 12.5 million euros ($14.7 million).
3What specific privacy concerns did the Italian watchdog highlight?
The watchdog highlighted excessively intrusive app features not necessary for fraud prevention, lack of proper user information, and no data protection impact assessment.
4Did Poste Italiane respond to requests for comment about the fine?
Poste Italiane did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment regarding the fine.
5What services does Poste Italiane provide besides postal services?
Poste Italiane also offers financial and payment services, including payment cards through its unit Postepay.
