The Italian Data Protection Authority (GPDP) has fined Altroconsumo Edizioni €280,000 after finding the company violated GDPR rules related to email marketing, account registration, and delayed responses to privacy requests.
The investigation began after a user complained about receiving promotional emails despite asking Altroconsumo to stop. The complainant also said they had never completed the registration process or confirmed their account, yet they continued to receive marketing emails.
During its investigation, the GPDP found that Altroconsumo treated unconfirmed account registrations as completed registrations. If you entered your details on the company’s website but never confirmed your email, Altroconsumo could still begin sending you promotional emails.
GPDP also found that Altroconsumo failed to act promptly after receiving requests to stop sending marketing emails.
As part of the ruling, Altroconsumo was required to stop processing the personal data of anyone who never confirmed their account. The company was also required to update its data handling procedures to ensure they comply with the GDPR.
