Employee email metadata and data protection compliance in Italy

Italy's Data Protection Authority (Garante) has now published its ruling on the timing and limits of processing metadata contained in employees' work emails. For employers managing email systems in Italy, the ruling closes a period of uncertainty but opens a new set of compliance questions.  Livio Bossotto, partner and head of A&O Shearman's Employment practice in Italy, and counsel Giorgia Giorgetti provide a detailed update on the Garante's findings.   What does the ruling say about how long employers can retain email metadata? Under what conditions is processing permitted, and what limitations apply? And how should employment and privacy teams be reviewing their current email management policies in light of the outcome?  This episode builds on the team's February 2024 analysis of the Garante consultation. Employers operating in Italy and privacy practitioners advising on Italian data protection compliance will leave this episode with a clear view of what the ruling demands and the immediate steps to take to align their policies with the new framework.  Note: This episode is recorded in Italian.