Italy: Issued Data Protection Authority ruling requiring Wikipedia to de-index article

On 9 May 2024, the Data Protection Authority (DPA) issued its decision in response to a complaint about Wikipedia's refusal to delete a biographical article. The DPA rejected Wikipedia's arguments that it is a "neutral host" claiming non-EU jurisdiction, noting that it targets the European market and thus must adhere to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The DPA ruled the request for deletion unfounded because the article’s processing was legally justified under GDPR for journalistic purposes. However, the DPA notes that in order to balance historical recordkeeping and individual rights, the information is mandated to be de-indexed from external search engines to limit public access to information that lessened current interest. Wikipedia Foundation is required to implement technical measures such as adding a "NOINDEX" meta tag and must report back to the DPA within 40 days on the actions taken to comply with this order. Failure to respond may lead to administrative sanctions.