Guide updated on 4 November 2026. It brings together and replaces the site’s articles on cameras with audio, blocks of flats, shops and video doorbells. It describes Italian rules and is not legal advice: for specific cases, consult a professional or the Garante.
In Italy no authorisation from the data protection authority (the Garante) is needed to install cameras, as the Garante itself states in its video surveillance FAQ. That does not mean you can film everything. The rules change a lot depending on who installs and what is filmed: a private individual at home, a block of flats, a shop, an employer.
1. At home: freedom within your boundaries
Cameras installed by individuals for the security of their own home, for purely personal use, fall outside the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). But on one precise condition: according to the Garante, the camera angle must be limited to spaces that belong exclusively to you.
- Yes: your garden, your entrance, your garage, the inside of your home.
- No: the street, the pavement, the shared landing, the shared courtyard, neighbours’ windows and gardens. The Garante also prohibits filming public areas or areas open to passers-by.
- If the view cannot avoid part of the street, use the software’s privacy masks to blank it out.
- If other people work in your home (cleaner, carer, babysitter) they must be informed. Never put cameras in bathrooms or similar spaces.
- Footage must not be spread around, for example posted on social media to “expose” someone: that is what a police report is for.
When a private camera covers public or third-party spaces, the exemption no longer applies and all GDPR obligations kick in, with the risk of fines and compensation claims from neighbours.
2. Doorbells and video intercoms
A video doorbell by nature films whoever stands at the door, and often much more: the landing, the pavement, the neighbour’s door. The same rules as home cameras apply.
- Choose the position and angle so that it only covers the area in front of your door.
- Turn off continuous recording and motion detection towards the street; keep activation on button press.
- In a block of flats, a video doorbell on the shared landing films a shared space: talk to the building manager before installing it.
- Turn off automatic audio recording if it picks up passers-by’s conversations (see point 6).
3. In a block of flats: you need a residents’ meeting
For cameras on shared parts (entrance, garage, courtyard, lift), the Garante requires installation to follow a resolution of the condominium meeting. Article 1122-ter of the Italian Civil Code requires that resolution to be approved by the majority of Article 1136(2): a majority of those present representing at least half the value of the building.
| Obligation | In practice |
|---|---|
| Resolution | Put camera positions, purpose, who can access footage and retention times on the agenda |
| Signs | Before the filmed areas, naming the controller (the condominium) and the purpose, with a reference to the full notice |
| Retention | The Garante points to a period not exceeding 7 days, with automatic deletion |
| Access to footage | Only authorised people (manager or delegate), personal passwords, an access log if possible |
| Supplier | The installer or company running the system must be appointed as data processor |
A single resident cannot install cameras covering shared parts on their own, not even “for everyone’s safety”.
4. Shops, offices and businesses open to the public
A business that films customers and passers-by is a data controller and must comply fully with the GDPR.
- A clear purpose, usually protecting property and people’s safety.
- A sign before the filmed area: according to the Garante it must include, among other things, the controller and the purpose, and refer to a full notice (on the website or posted on the premises).
- Short retention: usually a few days; beyond 72 hours the choice must be justified in more detail, for example by a weekly closing day.
- No filming of street and pavement beyond what is strictly needed for the entrance.
- A data protection impact assessment (DPIA) to consider if surveillance is extensive and systematic.
- If employees work in the shop, the next point also applies.
5. At work: Article 4 of the Workers’ Statute
Article 4 of Law 300/1970 allows systems that make remote monitoring of workers possible only for organisational and production needs, workplace safety or protection of company assets. And only after an agreement with the trade union representatives (RSU or RSA) or, failing that, with the authorisation of the Labour Inspectorate.
- Cameras may not be used to monitor employees’ productivity or behaviour.
- No filming in changing rooms, toilets or rest areas.
- Workers receive a specific privacy notice, in addition to the signs.
- Installing without an agreement or authorisation exposes the employer to sanctions, including criminal ones, and makes the footage hard to use.
6. Audio: the most sensitive point
Many cameras also record audio, often switched on by default. Recording other people’s conversations is far more intrusive than recording images: anyone who listens to and records conversations they are not part of, in someone else’s home or in private places, risks committing offences such as unlawful interference in private life (Article 615-bis of the Italian Criminal Code). At work, audio makes monitoring even harder to justify.
The practical rule: turn off audio recording on outdoor cameras, in shops and in blocks of flats. Keep it only where really needed, such as two-way talk with whoever rings the bell, without recording.
7. Facial recognition and other “smart” features
Recognising a face means processing biometric data, which the GDPR (Article 9) treats as a special category with very strict prohibitions and conditions. For individuals and shops, using it on passers-by is effectively ruled out. Generic “person” or “vehicle” detection, which identifies nobody, does not raise the same issue.
Summary by case
| Who | What is needed | Retention |
|---|---|---|
| Individual at home | Film only your own spaces, inform anyone working in the home | Free, but with common sense |
| Block of flats | Meeting resolution, signs, restricted access | Up to 7 days |
| Shop or office | Sign, full notice, precise purpose | A few days; beyond 72 hours needs justification |
| Employer | Union agreement or Labour Inspectorate authorisation, notice to workers | A few days |
Sources
- Italian data protection authority (Garante), video surveillance FAQ and topic page (Italian).
- Italian Civil Code, Articles 1122-ter and 1136; Law no. 300 of 20 May 1970, Article 4; Italian Criminal Code, Article 615-bis.
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), Articles 2 and 9.