Italy's privacy watchdog said Tuesday
that the nation's privacy rules do not prevent the publication
of the names of a handful of lawmakers who claimed a 600-euro
benefit designed to help self-employed people make ends meet
during the coronavirus lockdown.
The case has caused a huge outcry, with politicians from all
sides of the political spectrum calling on social-security
agency INPS to release the names of the MPs who took this money.
INPS sources said Monday that privacy rules prevented them from
doing this.
But the privacy authority does not see it that way.
"Privacy is not an obstacle to the publication of data regarding
the beneficiaries of the contribution where, as in this case, it
is not possible to identify a condition of social-economic
hardship in the interested party," it said in a statement.
It added that this was even more the case when the people
involved carried out public functions.
The lawmakers reportedly were able to claim the benefit because
they also had active value-added tax accounts.
The cases and those of many local politicians were reportedly
uncovered by the anti-fraud unit of pensions and social security
agency INPS.
INPS was reportedly unable to press charges though as
technically the MPs did not break the law.
But their conduct was clearly against the spirit of the
legislation and has been widely condemned.
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