Diritto & Internet

Online application forms and the principle of no surplus in the processing of personal data

Registration forms to websites should observe the principle of no surplus in the processing of personal data according to which only that data relevant to the websites’ purposes, namely to achieve the stated aims can be processed.

This principle was affirmed by the Italian Authority for the protection of personal data which forbad a web university to process certain data of students who had submitted an online form in order to be continually informed about the activities of the university.

According to this decision, the web university would collect information using the registration form to its site – such as place and date of birth, tax number and civil state – which were both excess to and irrelevant to the aims stated.

In addition to imposing a restraint on processing non relevant data, the Authority has ordered the university to change its method of collection of personal data on the Internet by eliminating from its registration form the request for that data considered to be excess to the aims pursued.

The Authority’s measure confirms the importance given to the general principles which are applicable to all kinds of processing of personal data, as art. 11 of the Italian Code on data protection sets out. Of these principles, those of necessity and good faith in the processing of personal data are to be considered as essential.

Annarita Ricci

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Scientific Director
Prof. Avv. Giusella Finocchiaro
Editorial Curator
Dott. Giulia Giapponesi

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