Controversy over the Garante della Privacy: detailed analysis of the Report case
The key moments to understand what is happening between the Authority and the Rai3 investigation programme
by Lorenzo Pace
Key points
Another development. After the episode of Report on Sunday 9 November, another controversy broke out in connection with the board of the Garante della Privacy, with the oppositions that have asked for the resignation of all four members. And Fdi that relaunched: 'We are in favour of the dissolution of any body or authority appointed by the left'.
It all starts with Sangiuliano's audio
Controversy that has been going on for almost a month now, even before the start of the new season of Report on 26 October. But which are linked to an episode from a year ago, in December 2024. Sigfrido Ranucci's programme, in fact, aired a recording of the private conversation of the then Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano with his wife, in which they discussed blocking a consultancy contract.
The role of the Garante
From there, the Privacy Guarantor stepped in. Its role is to protect people's fundamental rights and privacy. Thus, after almost a year, on 23 October, the fine arrived: 150,000 euro. Sangiuliano, however, expected the fine to arrive sooner, 'after two months. And I would have asked for EUR 1.5 million,' he told Realpolitik.
The day before: the meeting with Arianna Meloni
The subsequent development actually predates the fine. Because Report, in its first episode on 26 October, showed footage of Agostino Ghiglia, one of the four members of the Guarantor, who entered the office of Fratelli d'Italia - in Via della Scrofa, Rome - shortly before voting for the fine on Report.
According to the programme, there was a meeting with Arianna Meloni, sister of the Prime Minister and leader of FdI, to convince him to vote in favour of the maxi-sanction. Ghiglia then said that he had gone there for editorial reasons with the director of 'Il Secolo d'Italia', Italia Bocchino, and that he would only greet Meloni.
