Internet & Online Safety · Italy
Internet & Online Safety - Italy
Italy regulates online content and platforms primarily through the directly-applicable EU Digital Services Act, in force since 17 February 2024, with AGCOM designated as the national Digital Services Coordinator responsible for supervision, complaints, trusted-flagger recognition and sanctions. National law adds a binding age-verification regime for adult content and youth-protection measures via the Caivano Decree. There is no general state censorship of the internet; the regime is rights-based and EU-harmonised.
The Digital Services Act applies directly in Italy and sets the core rules on illegal-content notice-and-action, conditional platform liability (hosting/intermediary safe harbours from the e-Commerce framework), transparency, and obligations for Very Large Online Platforms supervised by the European Commission.
AGCOM was designated Italy's Digital Services Coordinator under Article 15 of Decree-Law No. 123 of 15 September 2023 (converted by Law No. 159 of 13 November 2023), pursuant to Article 49 of the DSA, with the regime operative from 17 February 2024.
AGCOM is the national point of reference for DSA supervision: handling complaints against intermediaries, certifying out-of-court dispute bodies, recognising trusted flaggers, and imposing sanctions, coordinating with the competition authority (AGCM) and the data-protection authority (Garante). It published its first annual DSC report (covering 2024) in July 2025.
Implementing Article 13-bis of the Caivano Decree, AGCOM adopted Resolution No. 96/25/CONS (8 April 2025) requiring certified third-party age verification before access to pornographic content, using a privacy-preserving 'double anonymity' model (identification then per-session authentication).
On 31 October 2025 AGCOM published a list of 48 adult platforms subject to the obligation, with measures taking effect 12 November 2025; non-compliance carries fines up to EUR 250,000 and AGCOM can order blocking of non-compliant sites until compliance is restored.
Intermediary liability follows the EU model: hosting providers are not liable for user content absent actual knowledge, and must act expeditiously on valid notices; AGCOM also retains pre-existing powers over copyright enforcement and audiovisual/video-sharing platform content online.
Machine-assisted translation · verified 5/23/2026 · orientation, not legal advice. English version →