Italy sets October 29 deadline for email tracking pixel compliance
The Italian Data Protection Authority confirmed an October 29 deadline to align email tracking pixels with consent rules, placing compliance checks in its 2026 inspection plan.
The Italian Data Protection Authority (Garante) confirmed a deadline ending on October 29 to align email tracking pixels with its privacy guidelines.
The authority treats tracking pixels like cookies under Article 122, requiring prior, free, specific, and informed consent before activation.
According to the guidelines, consent withdrawal must be granular, allowing the recipient to stop tracking while continuing to receive emails without pixels.
The authority also emphasized that identifiers must be non-sequential and uncomprehensible rather than the email address itself, placing compliance checks in its inspection plan for the second half of 2026.
What do these terms mean?
Tracking pixel: A tiny hidden image or code embedded in an email so the sender knows when and how many times the message was opened.
Informed consent: Clear and understandable permission granted by the user after knowing how their data will be used.
Article 122: An article in Italian privacy law regulating the storage of, and access to, information on users' devices.
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