Italian Justice Minister Carlo Nordio Rejects Full Phone Chat Access in Delmastro Case

After a vote in the Chamber of Deputies, Justice Minister Carlo Nordio celebrated the rejection of a prosecutor's request to obtain all communications from the phone of former undersecretary Andrea Delmastro. Nordio argued that a blanket seizure would violate privacy rights and parliamentary immunity, noting that a smartphone contains an entire personal life – private messages, documents, health records and third‑party information – and that any access must be narrowly targeted and authorized by a judge.

He emphasized that granting unrestricted access would set a dangerous precedent for digital surveillance and could infringe fundamental constitutional guarantees of inviolable correspondence. Nordio also said he was "certain" Delmastro has no ties to the mafia, underscoring the need to balance anti‑mafia investigations with protection of personal data and fundamental rights.