Italian Privacy Authority fines La Patria S.p.A. 39,000 euros

An Italian security firm has been ordered to pay a 39,000-euro fine after denying a dismissed worker access to satellite geolocation data collected from an assigned company car. The penalty against Bologna-based La Patria S.p.A. was issued by the Garante per la protezione dei dati personali on August 6, 2026.

Key Takeaways:

• La Patria S.p.A. received a 39,000-euro fine from the Italian privacy authority for denying a fired worker access to GPS vehicle tracking logs.
• The firm failed to provide written reasons for refusing the data request and neglected mandatory employee privacy disclosures regarding satellite tracking.
• The authority noted that the company reduced the penalty impact by adopting corrective measures and updating its data handling notices during the investigation.

Geolocation Data Denied During Disciplinary Dispute

The regulatory enforcement action stems from a formal complaint filed by a former employee. The worker had requested complete access to and copies of logs generated by the GPS unit installed on a company vehicle. The individual needed the records to mount a defense in a disciplinary dispute that ultimately resulted in their termination. According to the Garante’s ruling, numbered 585, the company unlawfully rejected this transparency request without supplying any written justification or informing the applicant of their right to seek judicial or administrative redress.

Deficiencies Found in Worker Privacy Disclosures

Beyond the refusal to share the tracking records, the regulatory review uncovered broader administrative failures within the security provider. Investigators found that La Patria S.p.A. had neglected its statutory obligation to properly notify personnel about how satellite tracking systems process personal data. Even an agreement negotiated with union representatives under Article 4 of the Workers’ Statute explicitly referenced required privacy notices that were either missing or inaccurate. The company's internal documentation incorrectly described data processing operations concerning special categories of information that the business did not actually perform.

Sanction Reduced Following Corrective Actions

The privacy watchdog factored subsequent corporate compliance efforts into the final financial penalty. Throughout the investigative proceedings, La Patria S.p.A. implemented corrective measures to bring its data processing practices into alignment with the General Data Protection Regulation. These steps included issuing proper geolocation privacy disclosures to its workforce and purging inaccurate references to special data categories from company documents.