http://dx.doi.org/10.59704/f230592f1a71691e https://verfassungsblog.de/italy-gpdp/ Independence as Immunity - The Italian Data Protection Authority Scandal and the Blind Spots of GDPR Governance Gilardino, Pietro Paolo eng 2026-01-21 electronic resource text/html ddc:342 Corruption Datenschutz-Grundverordnung | Europäische Union Italien Italy Rule of Law gdpr Datenschutz-Grundverordnung | Europäische Union Italien Verfassungsblog Verfassungsblog--2366-7044 CC BY-SA 4.0 The Italian Data Protection Authority, a cornerstone in the enforcement of the General Data Protection Regulation, is currently at the centre of an unprecedented judicial crisis. Recent searches by the police have involved the entire Board – including the President – on grave allegations of embezzlement and corruption. The scandal exposes a structural vulnerability in the European governance model for data protection: the independence of DPAs risks degenerating into immunity if it is not balanced by a robust and proactive system of external accountability.