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Italy Recording Laws 2025: One-Party Consent, Penalties and GDPR

By Recording Law Editorial Team26 min read
Italy Recording Laws 2025: One-Party Consent, Penalties and GDPR

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Italy a one-party or two-party consent state for recording?

Italy uses a one-party (participant) consent rule. Any person who is a participant in a conversation may record it without informing the other parties. This principle was confirmed by Cass. Pen. Sez. III n. 18908/2011 and has been repeatedly applied by the Corte di Cassazione, most recently in Sez. VI n. 9253/2025.

Can you record a phone call in Italy without telling the other person?

Yes, if you are a party to the call. Italian law permits participant recording of telephone conversations without prior disclosure to other participants, under Art. 24 of D.Lgs. 196/2003 and the Cassazione's interpretation of Art. 615-bis. You must have a legitimate purpose for the recording, and GDPR storage and purpose-limitation rules apply to the file once created.

What is Article 615-bis of the Italian Codice Penale?

Art. 615-bis criminalises using audio or visual devices to unlawfully obtain information or images about the private life of a person in their home or other private dwelling. Penalties range from six months to four years imprisonment. The key word is 'unlawfully': participant recording is not caught by Art. 615-bis; non-participant recording in private spaces is.

What penalties apply for revenge porn (non-consensual intimate images) in Italy?

Article 612-ter of the Codice Penale, introduced by Legge 69/2019 (Codice Rosso), punishes non-consensual distribution of sexually explicit images or videos with imprisonment of one to six years and fines of EUR 5,000 to EUR 15,000. Aggravated penalties apply when the perpetrator is or was an intimate partner of the victim, or when distribution uses digital or electronic means.

Is it legal to record police in Italy?

Recording police officers performing their duties in publicly accessible spaces is generally lawful. Art. 615-bis protects private life in private dwellings; it does not apply to public-space official conduct. A person who is the subject of an official police interaction and records it as a participant is exercising the standard participant recording right recognised in Cass. n. 18908/2011. Publication of such recordings may require compliance with GDPR and the Garante's journalism deontological rules if it identifies third parties.

Can an employer in Italy record or monitor employees?

Employers cannot install audio-visual or other monitoring systems without either a prior agreement with the relevant trade union or authorisation from the Labour Inspectorate, under Art. 4 of Law 300/1970 as amended by D.Lgs. 151/2015 (Jobs Act). Even lawfully installed systems may only produce data used for employment-related purposes, and employees must receive adequate prior notice.

Are recordings admissible as evidence in Italian courts?

Yes. Participant recordings are treated as prova documentale (documentary evidence) under Art. 234 of the Codice di Procedura Penale, not as wiretaps requiring prior judicial authorisation. Cass. Pen. Sez. VI n. 9253/2025 confirmed that a phonographic recording made by a participant, including in a workplace, is admissible if made for a legitimate purpose. Recordings made in violation of Art. 615-bis (private spaces, non-participant) may be excluded.

What does Italy's 2025 AI law say about deepfakes?

Legge n. 132 of 23 September 2025 added Art. 612-quater to the Codice Penale, creating a criminal offence for providing, publishing, or disseminating AI-generated or AI-altered images, videos, or audio that are likely to deceive as to authenticity and cause unjust harm to a person, without that person's consent. The penalty is imprisonment from one to five years. The law entered into force on 10 October 2025.

Do Italian recording laws apply to tourists and foreign visitors?

Yes. Italian criminal law applies to all persons physically present in Italy, regardless of nationality. A foreign visitor who records a private conversation without participating in it could face Art. 615-bis or Art. 617 liability on the same basis as an Italian national. GDPR also applies to the processing of personal data of persons in Italy regardless of where the recorder is based.

How does GDPR affect recording in Italy?

GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679), applied in Italy via D.Lgs. 101/2018, treats audio and video recordings of identifiable persons as personal data processing. The recorder must have a valid legal basis (consent, legitimate interest, legal obligation, or contract), must limit retention to what is necessary, must use the recording only for its stated purpose, and must be able to demonstrate compliance. The Garante enforces GDPR in Italy with fines up to EUR 20 million or 4% of annual global turnover for serious violations.

Updates

Governing law re-checked for recent changes

Major refresh: added Art. 612-ter (Codice Rosso 2019, NCII/revenge porn), Art. 612-quater (L. 132/2025, AI deepfake offence), Recording Police H2, Cross-Border H2, updated wiretap publication rules to L. 7/2020 framework (in force 1 Sept 2020), added Cass. Pen. Sez. VI n. 9253/2025 workplace recording confirmation, updated Garante enforcement actions to 2025, added full Authorities Cited section and disclaimer block. Title updated to reflect 2025 developments.

Sources and References

  1. Cass. Pen. Sez. III n. 18908/2011; Art. 615-bis Codice Penale; D.Lgs. 196/2003 Art. 24(normattiva.it).gov
  2. Art. 615-bis Codice Penale (R.D. 19 ottobre 1930, n. 1398)(normattiva.it).gov
  3. Art. 617, 617-quater, 617-quinquies Codice Penale(normattiva.it).gov
  4. Art. 612-ter Codice Penale; L. 69/2019 (Codice Rosso)(normattiva.it).gov
  5. L. 23 settembre 2025, n. 132; Art. 612-quater Codice Penale(normattiva.it).gov
  6. Cass. Pen. Sez. V n. 42647/2024(cortedicassazione.it).gov
  7. Cass. Pen. Sez. VI n. 9253/2025(cortedicassazione.it).gov
  8. Cass. n. 11322/2018(cortedicassazione.it).gov
  9. Art. 4 L. 300/1970 (as amended by D.Lgs. 151/2015)(normattiva.it).gov
  10. D.Lgs. 196/2003 Art. 24, Art. 131 (as amended by D.Lgs. 101/2018)(garanteprivacy.it).gov
  11. GDPR Art. 5, Art. 9, Art. 83; D.Lgs. 101/2018(eur-lex.europa.eu).gov
  12. Art. 15 Costituzione della Repubblica Italiana(cortecostituzionale.it).gov
  13. D.Lgs. 161/2019; L. 7/2020(normattiva.it).gov
  14. Art. 271 c.p.p.(normattiva.it).gov
  15. Garante Privacy, Provvedimento 8 aprile 2010 [1734653](garanteprivacy.it).gov
  16. Art. 615-bis Codice Penale (a contrario); Cass. n. 18908/2011
  17. EU AI Act, Reg. (EU) 2024/1689 Art. 5, Art. 50; L. 132/2025(eur-lex.europa.eu).gov
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