Protect Your Online Privacy from Italian Data Retention: As it happens with China and Russia, and most lately with Sweden and the UK; the Italian Senate concocted a meticulous data retention law for Internet Service Providers (ISP); and telecommunication corporations operating in the country.
The subject is the cause for intense debate; with the Italian Senate and the European Union (EU); most notably the Court of Justice of the EU; as the chief actors. The latter says that such strict data retention rules are astonishingly harsh.(also read, Metadata Retention Law in European Union)
How to Protect Your Online Privacy from Italian Data Retention Laws?
Italian Data Retention Law
The step, taken this year and already working in Italy; is a critical blow to the online privacy of millions of netizens in this particular land. Now, ISPs will be obliged to retain users’ data and internet traffic for a least of six years; which sounds like a lot contemplating; that no one should intervene while you’re browsing the web; as long as you are not harming anyone.
However, the Italian government wants to preserve their interests and those of the nation; so they came up with this controversial decision that left numerous Italians upset and disappointed. They feel that their fundamental right to privacy and also anonymity should be valued.
Moreover, one more article of the Italian Data Protection Code; besides the already stated six years’ time-frame for conventional users/traffic; local internet providers have to keep up to twenty-four months or the equal two years for telephone traffic data; one year for electronic communications traffic data; and a month for information that has to do with unsuccessful calls concocted on a temporary basis by the providers of aboveboard available electronic communications services or a public communications network.(also check, How to Protect Data in US After New Privacy Rules in the USA?)
Web monitoring and packet inspections endanger your privacy.
According to the concluding document that the Italian Senate passed for revision and also approval; web monitoring for copyright materials is now the section of the legal instrument without prior judicial evaluating. It implies that local administrators and decision-makers; more particularly the Italian Authority for Communications Guarantees (AGCOM); have the right to take down websites without a warrant or judicial notice.
Consequences of Italian Data Retention Laws On Users’ Privacy
The current situation of Italian netizens does not seem quite supportive. In fact, the prospect of internet users in Italy is on the verge of obscurity. Here is the listing of some consequences you may encounter in Italy in the form of data retention laws presently. These are:
- The telecommunication authorities can retain the history of your phone calls
- Moreover, the ISPs will save the email addresses of the users
- The ISPs will watch all your online activities that involve downloading files from the internet and visiting sites
- The ISPs will also be liable for keeping the log of the users’ IP addresses
How A VPN helps You Protect Your Online Privacy from Italian Data Retention
If you want to work around the metadata retention law; nothing comes close to the VPN. This is due to the fact that a VPN enables you to sneak your online identities; from the prying eyes of your ISPs and telecommunication authorities. Furthermore, it offers you a virtual mask that helps you to attain online anonymity and security(also see, 5 Best VPN for UK 2018).
Through connecting to a metadata retention VPN; you can spoof your online location. Consequently, your ISPs and government are unable to track down your online activities. Therefore, they can’t keep an eye on your metadata. Here is the table of the best VPN providers that includes:
Other Methods To Avoid Italian Data Retention
Favourably, you are living in the digital age where tools other than a VPN are at your end. After using these online tools; you can circumvent the issue of metadata retention to the next level. These are:
- Tor
- Script Blockers
- Ad Blockers
- Signal
- PGP
- HTTPS Everywhere
Conclusion -How to Protect Your Online Privacy from Italian Data Retention Laws
To cut to the chase, one must not compromise on online privacy at any cost. From the techniques given above; you can negotiate the metadata retention rule in the positive direction. According to the new Italian metadata retention law; ISPs and telecommunication organizations can maintain the data of their users for six years.
It indicates you are necessitated to use a VPN and other ways to secure your online privacy within Italy. Furthermore, The notion of online surveillance is comparatively new for the Italian netizens. However, it has created much panic among the users. Hence, If you are not willing for it; then be ready to pay the price. Otherwise, you may face the music in the form of arrest warrants, copyright infringement violations, and other legal troubles.
Also, do share your feedback about the newest advancement regarding data retention laws in the comments below.
