# Italian banking sector privacy and regulation issues > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/italian-banking-sector-privacy-and-regulation-issues > Updated: 2026-09-15T15:42:00.000Z. Sources: 12. Developments: 2. Recent developments in the Italian banking sector have highlighted issues regarding data privacy, unauthorized access, and payment discrimination. Authorities concluded investigations into two privacy-related incidents. In Bari, a former Intesa Sanpaolo employee, Vincenzo Coviello, faces accusations of systematically accessing the private accounts of 3,572 customers, including high-ranking officials like President Sergio Mattarella, between 2020 and 2024. Additionally, the Italian Data Protection Authority fined BBVA 5.5 million euros for failing to honor customer opt-outs for promotional messages and for providing incorrect information regarding data processing. Concurrently, consumer organization Altroconsumo and the payment platform Satispay have raised concerns regarding illegal IBAN discrimination at the Italian Chamber of Deputies. They reported that entities are refusing payments based on an account’s country of origin, despite such practices being prohibited under EU Regulation 260/2012. The initiative seeks to enforce the rights of citizens using non-national SEPA accounts for essential services. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-15: Altroconsumo and Satispay fight IBAN discrimination in Italy Altroconsumo and Satispay are campaigning against illegal IBAN discrimination in Italy, which prevents users from using non-national SEPA accounts for essential services. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/altroconsumo-and-satispay-fight-iban-discrimination-in-italy ### 2026-09-13: Italian banks face scrutiny over data privacy and unauthorized account access Italian authorities have concluded investigations into an Intesa Sanpaolo employee for spying on 3,572 accounts and fined BBVA 5.5 million euros for violating customer privacy preferences. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/italian-banks-face-scrutiny-over-data-privacy-and-unauthorized-account-access --- Cite as: Italian banking sector privacy and regulation issues. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/italian-banking-sector-privacy-and-regulation-issues