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Exercising Access Rights in Italy

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Book cover The Unaccountable State of Surveillance

Part of the book series: Law, Governance and Technology Series ((ISDP,volume 34))

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Abstract

This chapter outlines the experiences of attempting to exercise one’s right of access in Italy. Using rich, ethnographic examples, this chapter tests how easy or difficult it is for a data subject based in Italy to obtain their personal data, firstly by locating the required information about organisations and their data controllers and secondly by submitting subject access requests to these organisations. The chapter reflects on the differences (if any) between public and private sector organisations in the process of responding to access requests as well as the role of the national Data Protection Authority in Italy.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    D.L.gs. 30 June 2003 n. 196, in G.U. 29 July 2003 n. 174 – Supplemento Ordinario n. 123.

  2. 2.

    Art. 15, Italian Constitution.

  3. 3.

    Art. 22, Italian Constitution.

  4. 4.

    Art. 4, lett. (b), (c), (d), (e), D. Lgs 30 June 2003 n. 196.

  5. 5.

    Art. 2, lett. (a), European Parliament and the Council, Directive 95/46/EC of 24.10.1995, in OJ L 281/31-39, 23.11.95.

  6. 6.

    Art. 4, lett. (f), (g), D. Lgs 30 June 2003 n. 196.

  7. 7.

    The data protection legislation does not provide a clear definition or any guidance on what the term ‘legitimate motive’ means. Instead, this is subject to interpretation on a case by case basis.

  8. 8.

    Art. 13, D.L. 18.10.2012, n. 179, in G.U. 19.10.2012 n. 194/L – Supplemento Ordinario n. 245 – Serie Generale.

  9. 9.

    Specifically, the issue concerns the electronic protection in order to avoid easy online access to “sensitive data” (as defined by the Art. 4, let. d), L. n. 196/2003 -DP Code-) or the possibility that any hacking/cracking activity on the internet could violate the software and lead to the misuse of personal data of an individual, specifically regarding the health condition of the person.

  10. 10.

    TAR: Tribuanle Amministrativo Regionale (Administrative Regional Tribunal). It is the first instance of the administrative justice in the Italian judicial system.

  11. 11.

    In fact, besides the salary earned by these employees and their job position described in the contract, the documents also contained an historical description of the career and private life of these people, i.e. sick-leave, leave of absence, etc.

  12. 12.

    See Consiglio di Stato, sez. V, 17 September 2010, Sent. n. 6953; Consiglio di Stato, Sez. V, 7 September 2004, Sent. n. 5873; Consiglio di Stato, Sez. VI, 22 October 2002, Sent. n. 5814.

  13. 13.

    The right of data protection in this context should be taken to mean the right of access to information.

  14. 14.

    Indeed, a priori the plaintiff always declared she was not interested in those aspects of the documents for which she required access. TAR Firenze, Sez. I, 12.05.2011, Sent. n. 80, in www.giustizia-amministrativa.it/DocumentiGA/Firenze/Sezione%202/2011/201101050/Provvedimenti/201300220_01.XML (last accessed 15 June 2013).

  15. 15.

    TAR: Tribuanle Amministrativo Regionale (Administrative Regional Tribunal). It is the first instance of the administrative justice in the Italian judicial system.

  16. 16.

    Cass. Civile, Sez. I, 09.01.2013, Sent. n. 349, in www.ilsole24ore.com/pdf2010/SoleOnLine5/Oggetti_correlati/Documenti/Norme%20e%20Tributi/2013/01/corte-cassazione-sentenza-349-2013.pdf

  17. 17.

    TAR: Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale (Administrative Regional Tribunal). It is the first instance of the administrative justice in the Italian judicial system.

  18. 18.

    In the hierarchy of the Italian legal sources the Italian Constitution and its fundamental rights is part of the “primary legislation”.

  19. 19.

    TAR Sardegna, Sez. II, 02.08.2011, Sent. n. 865, in www.giustizia-amministrativa.it/DocumentiGA/Cagliari/Sezione%202/2011//201100270/Provvedimenti/20110865_01.XML (last accessed 15 June 2013).

  20. 20.

    Consiglio di Stato: it is the last instance (Supreme Court) of the administrative judicial system.

  21. 21.

    In fact, the association required a list of documents, including the temporary adoption certificates of dogs to third parties (namely, individuals), definitive adoption certificates of dogs, certificates attesting the restitution of the animal to the legitimate owners, data referring to the adoption of dogs by third parties, etc.

  22. 22.

    Regarding the fact that the censure (“omissis”) of sensitive data (identities of third parties) hampered the investigation of the association, the Consiglio di Stato explained that the suspicious activities run by the public kennels would be the subject of an ad hoc criminal proceeding, through an ex officio procedure, automatically transmitting the judicial documents, as the judges of the criminal court would be legitimate in also having access to the sensitive data for investigative and judicial reasons. Consiglio di Stato, Sez. V, 28.09.2007, Sent. n. 4999, in www.altalex.com/index.php?idnot=38736 (last accessed 15 June 2013).

  23. 23.

    D.L.gs 30 June 2003 n. 196, in G.U. 29 July 2003 n. 174 – Supplemento Ordinario n. 123, implementation of the EU Directive 95/46/EC.

  24. 24.

    The right of defence implies that the lawyer or the accused person can access the data referred to incoming telephone communications when they are fundamental evidences for an effective defensive strategy during a trial.

  25. 25.

    Ced – Centro Elaborazione Dati Interforze (i.e. interforce data elaboration centre): it is a central database managed by the Minister of Interior, aimed at gathering data shared among the several security forces (i.e. national police, carabinieri, guardia di finanza, judicial police). The collected data refer to people involved in judicial police investigations and/or criminal proceedings, http://www.interno.gov.it/mininterno/export/sites/default/it/sezioni/ministero/dipartimenti/dip_pubblica_sicurezza/direzione_centrale_della_polizia_criminale/scheda_16059.html

  26. 26.

    Testo Unico sulla Privacy (T.U. Privacy)

  27. 27.

    Art. 30, L. 31 December 1996 n. 675, in G.U. 8 January 1997 n. 5 – Supplemento Oridnario n. 3

  28. 28.

    Section 3.5, Provision on Video Surveillance

  29. 29.

    Italian Personal Data Protection Code, Part III, Title I, III (Non-Judicial Remedies): http://www.privacy.it/privacycode-en.html#sect147 (last accessed 15 June 2013).

  30. 30.

    It is worth noting that the role of the DPA changed widely from 2001 to 2010 due to the implementation of the DP Code in 2003. Additionally, the word “complaint” here refers to part III, Title I, sections 145–151 of the DP Code, namely “Administrative Remedies” and “Non-Judicial Remedies”.

  31. 31.

    These were credit card records; banking records; mobile phone carrier records; Microsoft; Google

  32. 32.

    However, it should be noted, that the language setting of our account is English. This may partly explain why we received files written in English and not in our mother tongue.

  33. 33.

    http://www.garanteprivacy.it/web/guest/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/1734653

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy

    Chiara Fonio

  2. Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy

    Alessia Ceresa

Authors
  1. Chiara Fonio
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  2. Alessia Ceresa
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Correspondence to Chiara Fonio .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom

    Clive Norris

  2. Law, Science, Technology & Society, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

    Paul de Hert

  3. Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom

    Xavier L'Hoiry

  4. Studies of Law, LSTS Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

    Antonella Galetta

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Fonio, C., Ceresa, A. (2017). Exercising Access Rights in Italy. In: Norris, C., de Hert, P., L'Hoiry, X., Galetta, A. (eds) The Unaccountable State of Surveillance. Law, Governance and Technology Series(), vol 34. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47573-8_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47573-8_8

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-47573-8

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