Unwanted telemarketing calls draw over 37 thousand complaints in seven months
Italy's privacy watchdog, the Garante, reported more than 37 thousand complaints about unwanted telemarketing calls in the first seven months of 2026, over 170 a day. At a Rome conference with consumer groups, President Pasquale Stanzione and Vice President Ginevra Cerrina Feroni called for stronger consumer protection and effective public oversight. Board member Agostino Ghiglia pointed to a Court of Justice ruling that lets consumer associations sue over GDPR violations without individual mandates.
What does it mean?
If you keep getting sales calls you never asked for, you are not alone: tens of thousands of people reported them to the privacy watchdog in the first seven months of 2026. The regulator is calling for stronger protection, and consumer groups can now take legal action on behalf of many people at once.
Who is affected?
People receiving unsolicited telemarketing calls and the consumer associations that help them.