Cyber crime costs 500 bn a year (2)

(ANSA) - Rome, June 28 - Italian Privacy Authority President Antonello Soro on Tuesday said cyber crime has grown significantly and could threaten the physical safety of citizens.
    Cyber crime is a "real threat" with a cost for the world's economy "estimated at 500 billion euros a year, just slightly below drug trafficking in a list of illegal earnings", Soro said in presenting the Authority's annual report to parliament.
    In the annual report, the Authority also said freedom of the press needs to be respected but urged the media to refrain from publishing wiretaps that have "no real public relevance" when reporting on judicial cases, Soro said.
    Addressing the threat posed by terrorism, the report went on to say that the reaction of institutions "must be effective but respectful of rights and fundamental freedoms".
    "Not all freedom limitations are actually useful in preventing terrorism and serious crimes".
    And "at a time when there is a stronger, anachronistic drive to create 'barriers' to the free circulation of goods and people", new European regulations on personal data protection "have attained the ambitious objective of ensuring harmonized legislation across member States".
    Following Great Britain's vote to leave the European Union, Soro also indicated EU data protection rules as the "authentic compass in a connected world" to be proposed worldwide.
    Addressing the issue of privacy in telemarketing, the annual report noted that operators are continuing to be "uncontrollably aggressive", compromising the serenity of individuals and families, Soro said.
    The Authority's president in particular referred to unsolicited promotional phone calls, noting that "3,000 complaints have been filed in the first semester of 2016" and that "new and more effective" regulations in the sector have been solicited.
    In particular, Soro mentioned that "targeted inspections" are being carried out by the Authority across call centers and the companies requesting their services, which are revealing "serious faults" in the management of personal data.