> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.botbrains.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# AI Cold Calling Laws in Italy

> Is AI cold calling legal in Italy? Consent rules for automated B2B and B2C calls, Art. 130 Codice privacy, the Registro delle opposizioni, and AI disclosure.

export const reviewed_0 = "October 2026"

In Italy, an AI agent may only make marketing calls to people and businesses who agreed to automated calls beforehand. Article 130(1) of the Privacy Code ([Codice privacy, D.Lgs. 196/2003](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2003-06-30;196~art130)) requires consent for any marketing call made "senza l'intervento di un operatore" (without an operator), and it protects companies too. Even with consent, you must screen your list in the Registro pubblico delle opposizioni, and since mid-June 2026 Italy bans phone sales of electricity and gas to consumers unless the customer asked you to call.

<Note>
  This page summarizes the law as of {reviewed_0} to help you plan AI phone calls. It isn't legal advice. Laws and how regulators apply them change, so check your use case with a lawyer before you start a campaign.
</Note>

## At a glance

| Call | To consumers (B2C) | To businesses (B2B) |
| - | - | - |
| Inbound service call | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Allowed. Disclose the AI and the recording. | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Allowed. Disclose the AI and the recording. |
| Outbound service call | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Allowed. Don't add offers without marketing consent. | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Allowed |
| Marketing callback the person asked for | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Allowed. Keep proof that the number's owner asked. | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Allowed. Keep proof of the request. |
| Marketing call by an AI agent | <Icon icon="signature" color="#d97706" /> Consent required, also from existing customers. Italy has no soft opt-in for calls. | <Icon icon="signature" color="#d97706" /> Consent required, also from existing customers. Italy has no soft opt-in for calls. |
| Marketing call by a human | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Numbers in public phone directories: allowed unless registered.<br /><Icon icon="signature" color="#d97706" /> Other numbers, including most mobiles: consent required. | <Icon icon="circle-check" color="#16a34a" /> Numbers in public phone directories: allowed unless registered.<br /><Icon icon="signature" color="#d97706" /> Other numbers, including most mobiles: consent required. |

## Is AI cold calling legal in Italy?

Only with prior consent. [Article 130(1) of the Codice privacy](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2003-06-30;196~art130) reads:

> "l'uso di sistemi automatizzati di chiamata o di comunicazione di chiamata senza l'intervento di un operatore per l'invio di materiale pubblicitario o di vendita diretta o per il compimento di ricerche di mercato o di comunicazione commerciale è consentito con il consenso del contraente o utente."

In English: you may use automated calling systems without an operator for advertising, direct sales, market research, or commercial messages only with the consent of the subscriber or user.

The "contraente" (subscriber) is any natural or legal person with a phone contract ([Art. 121(1-bis)(f)](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2003-06-30;196~art121)), so the rule covers consumers, sole traders, professionals, and companies alike. Automated market research calls need consent too.

**Does an AI agent count as automated?** Probably yes. The Garante, the data protection authority, hasn't ruled on conversational AI. The telemarketing code of conduct it approved defines automated calls as those made "senza l'intervento di un operatore (persona fisica)" (without a human operator). It counts an automated call that qualifies a lead for a human sales agent as automated marketing too ([Codice di condotta, Art. 2(2)(c) and (e)](https://www.garanteprivacy.it/garante/doc.jsp?ID=9868836)). So treat AI calls as automated, even if a colleague supervises or could take over.

[Law 5/2018](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:legge:2018-01-11;5) adds two rules. Anyone who makes marketing calls "con o senza l'intervento di un operatore umano" (with or without a human operator) must screen the do-not-call register (Art. 1(12)). The law also bans dialers that generate numbers automatically (Art. 1(14)).

## Cold calls by a human

Article 130(3-bis) allows calls by a human without consent only to numbers listed in public phone directories, unless the owner registered them in the Registro pubblico delle opposizioni. All other numbers, which includes most mobile numbers, need consent ([Codice di condotta, Art. 10(2)](https://www.garanteprivacy.it/garante/doc.jsp?ID=9868836)).

This applies to B2B prospecting too. In May 2026, the Garante fined an M\&A advisory firm that called company contacts with numbers bought from a sales intelligence tool. Directory numbers outside the register are the only exception ("unica deroga ammessa"), and numbers from public or online sources still need consent ([Garante, May 14, 2026](https://www.garanteprivacy.it/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/10262367)).

## Existing customers and callback requests

**Existing customers.** Italy's soft opt-in covers email only ([Art. 130(4)](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2003-06-30;196~art130)). An AI call to a customer therefore needs marketing consent. Consent given within an active contract, or one that ended less than 30 days ago, survives a later registration in the do-not-call register ([Law 5/2018, Art. 1(5)](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:legge:2018-01-11;5)). Don't add offers to service calls without marketing consent. The Garante fined Enel Energia for this in March 2026.

**Callback requests.** A person who asks for a callback through a landing page, an ad, or an IVR menu has agreed to that call (Codice di condotta, Art. 7(3)(f)). Make your form say that an AI agent calls back, and confirm the number with an SMS code or a double opt-in. In July 2026, the Garante ordered TIM to prove that each request came from the actual person, and held that a request obtained after an unlawful first call doesn't cure it ([Garante, July 23, 2026](https://www.garanteprivacy.it/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/10277005)).

## Do-not-call register: Registro pubblico delle opposizioni

| Question | Answer |
| - | - |
| Website | [registrodelleopposizioni.it](https://registrodelleopposizioni.it/) |
| Run by | The Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT), managed by Fondazione Ugo Bordoni and supervised by the Garante |
| Numbers covered | All Italian landline and mobile numbers, listed or not, since July 2022 ([DPR 26/2022](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:presidente.repubblica:decreto:2022-01-27;26), Art. 2 and 3) |
| Business numbers | Yes. Any natural or legal person with a phone contract can register (DPR 26/2022, Art. 1(1)(b)). |
| Automated calls | Covered. Registration revokes earlier consents for calls with or without a human (Law 5/2018, Art. 1(2) and (5)). |
| How often | Every month and before every campaign. A check stays valid for 15 days (DPR 26/2022, Art. 8(2)). |
| Fee | Annual subscription by list size, for example EUR 68 plus VAT for up to 10,000 numbers in 2026 ([tariffs](https://registrodelleopposizioni.it/operatore/tariffe/)) |

The register matters even when you have consent, because registration cancels earlier consents. Consent given after registration stays valid (Law 5/2018, Art. 1(6)), until the person renews the registration (DPR 26/2022, Art. 7(4)). botBrains doesn't screen numbers, so you screen your lists yourself.

## Consent for AI calls

Consent must be free, specific, informed, unambiguous, and documented, and you carry the burden of proof ([GDPR Art. 4(11) and Art. 7](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj)). In Italy, that means:

| Requirement | What it means for you |
| - | - |
| Covers automated calls | Name AI or automated calls. One consent can cover automated and human calls if the notice names each channel ([Garante guidelines 2013, 2.6.2](https://www.garanteprivacy.it/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/2542348)). |
| Separate purposes | Generic, bundled, or pre-ticked consents are invalid, and so is one consent for your own marketing plus passing data to third parties (Codice di condotta, Art. 12(2)). Third-party consent must name each company or its sector (guidelines 2013, 2.6.3). |
| Provable | Store the IP address and timestamp, plus a confirmation SMS or double opt-in (Codice di condotta, Art. 6(1)(a)). |
| Purchased lists | Get a signed declaration from the provider, check a sample, and screen the register again (Codice di condotta, Art. 6). |
| Calls for a partner | The company you call for is jointly liable with the call center ([Law 5/2018, Art. 1(11)](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:legge:2018-01-11;5)). |

Italian law sets no fixed retention period or expiry date for consent, so keep the evidence for as long as you call on it. For what botBrains asks before outbound campaigns, see [before you start outbound campaigns](/concepts/phone/countries#before-you-start-outbound-campaigns).

## Tell callers they're talking to an AI

Since August 2, 2026, [Article 50 of the EU AI Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:L_202401689#art_50) requires that people know they're talking to an AI system, at the latest when the conversation starts. This applies to inbound and outbound calls, to consumers and to business contacts, and you can't count on the exception for obvious cases when your AI agent sounds human. The [default introduction](/concepts/phone#introductions) already says that your AI agent is an AI, so keep that statement first when you edit it. When you call a consumer to sell something, the [Consumer Rights Directive](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2011/83/oj/eng) also requires you to name your company, anyone you call for, and the commercial purpose at the start.

Italian law adds these duties for the start of a marketing call:

| Duty | Source |
| - | - |
| Say who you are, on whose behalf you call, and the commercial purpose | [Codice del consumo, Art. 51(5)](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2005-09-06;206~art51) |
| Say where you got the number, and how to register in the do-not-call register | DPR 26/2022, Art. 10 |
| Never hide or disguise the caller's identity | Codice privacy, Art. 130(5) |
| Say where the operator sits, and offer an EU operator if the call center is outside the EU. Untested for AI agents. | [D.L. 83/2012, Art. 24-bis(5) and (6)](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legge:2012-06-22;83~art24bis) |

Italy's AI law ([Legge 132/2025](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:legge:2025-09-23;132), in force since October 10, 2025) adds no disclosure duty beyond the AI Act (Art. 3(5)). It asks for plain-language information on AI-related data processing (Art. 4(3)) and makes spreading harmful AI-faked voices a crime (Art. 26).

Recommended introduction for outbound marketing calls in Italian. Replace the parts in brackets:

```text theme={null}
Buongiorno, sono {agent_name} e la chiamo per conto di {project_name}. Sono un'intelligenza artificiale, non una persona. La contatto perché ha dato a {project_name} il consenso a ricevere chiamate automatiche su [scopo, ad esempio le nostre offerte per l'ufficio]. La chiamata viene registrata: se non è d'accordo, prema in qualsiasi momento il tasto asterisco. Se non desidera più ricevere le nostre chiamate, me lo dica e non la richiameremo. Può anche iscrivere il suo numero al Registro pubblico delle opposizioni. Ha un minuto?
```

For inbound calls:

```text theme={null}
Buongiorno, sono {agent_name} di {project_name}. Sono un'intelligenza artificiale. La chiamata viene registrata: se non è d'accordo, prema in qualsiasi momento il tasto asterisco. Come posso aiutarla?
```

Edit the introduction per project, see [introductions](/concepts/phone#introductions). A spoken "no more calls" is an objection you must apply at once, even within the running campaign (Codice di condotta, Art. 12(5)). Add [guidance](/concepts/guidance) for objections and a [Unitool](/concepts/unitools) that writes the objection to your CRM.

## Call recording

Italy follows a one-party rule in criminal law. [Article 617 of the Criminal Code](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:regio.decreto:1930-10-19;1398:1~art617) punishes listening in on conversations between other people or not addressed to you ("tra altre persone o comunque a lui non dirette"). Recording a call you take part in falls outside it.

Under the GDPR, you need a lawful basis such as legitimate interest or contract, and you must tell the caller about the recording ([Art. 6 and Art. 13](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj)). Consent isn't required, but the caller can object (Art. 21). A recording kept for quality isn't biometric data. Voice becomes biometric only when you process it to identify someone (Art. 4(14) and Art. 9).

After a forward, the recording also captures your colleague. Tools that allow remote monitoring of employees can require a union agreement or approval from the labor inspectorate ([Statuto dei lavoratori, Art. 4](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:legge:1970-05-20;300~art4)).

In botBrains, pressing the star key stops the recording and discards it. The transcript stays. botBrains stores recordings, transcripts, and call data in the EU.

## Caller ID and calling hours

**Show a number people can call back.** Marketing calls, with or without a human, must show the caller's number ([Law 5/2018, Art. 2](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:legge:2018-01-11;5), and DPR 26/2022, Art. 9). AGCOM, the communications regulator, reserved the 0844 prefix for marketing calls. You may use another number instead if people can call it back ([AGCOM 156/18/CIR](https://www.agcom.it/sites/default/files/migration/delibera/Delibera%20156-18-CIR.pdf)). Callers see your botBrains number, botBrains provisions Italian numbers on request, and your AI agent answers when people call back.

Businesses that run call center activity on Italian numbers must also register in AGCOM's operator register (ROC) and declare their numbers ([D.L. 83/2012, Art. 24-bis(11)](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legge:2012-06-22;83~art24bis)). Ask your lawyer whether your campaign counts.

**Spoofed numbers get blocked.** Since August 2025, Italian carriers must block calls from abroad that show an Italian landline number, and since November 2025 also an Italian mobile number unless the phone is roaming ([AGCOM 106/25/CONS](https://www.agcom.it/provvedimenti/delibera-106-25-cons)).

**Calling hours.** We found no statutory calling hours. The code of conduct allows calls from 9:00 to 20:00 on weekdays and from 10:00 to 19:00 on Saturdays and days before public holidays, with no calls on Sundays or public holidays (Art. 7(3)(f)). Calls the person asked for are exempt. botBrains starts calls one at a time with **Dial** or through the API and doesn't enforce calling hours, so plan your calls within these windows yourself.

## Sector rules

| Sector | Rule |
| - | - |
| Electricity and gas | <Icon icon="circle-x" color="#dc2626" /> Prohibited, with narrow exceptions. Since mid-June 2026, Italy bans phone calls and messages that offer electricity or gas contracts to consumers. You may only call people who asked you through your own website or app, or your own energy customers with specific consent. You must prove the request and call from a number that identifies you. Contracts from unlawful calls are void ([Codice del consumo, Art. 51(8-bis) to (8-quater)](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2005-09-06;206~art51), added by [D.L. 21/2026](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legge:2026-02-20;21)). Bought leads don't qualify, because the request must reach you directly. |
| Any contract sold by phone to a consumer | Confirm the offer on paper or a durable medium. The consumer is only bound after signing it or accepting it in writing (Codice del consumo, Art. 51(6)). Your AI agent can't close the sale on the call alone. |
| Debt collection | A service call, but the Garante has ruled it unlawful to tell the debtor's family about the debt ([Garante newsletter, March 26, 2026](https://www.garanteprivacy.it/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/10233427)). |

## Fines and enforcement

| Breach | Regulator | Maximum |
| - | - | - |
| AI or robocall marketing without consent, calls to registered numbers | Garante | EUR 20 million or 4% of worldwide turnover ([Codice privacy, Art. 166(2)](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2003-06-30;196~art166) with GDPR Art. 83(5)) |
| Repeated unsolicited sales calls to consumers, an aggressive practice | AGCM, the competition and consumer authority | EUR 10 million ([Codice del consumo, Art. 26(1)(c) and Art. 27(9)](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2005-09-06;206~art27)) |
| Missing caller ID, energy calls from unassigned numbers | AGCOM | Fines (Law 5/2018, Art. 2), and suspension of your lines for energy calls (Codice del consumo, Art. 51(8-quater)) |
| Missing AI disclosure | ACN, Italy's AI Act authority (Legge 132/2025, Art. 20) | EUR 15 million or 3% of worldwide turnover ([AI Act Art. 99(4)](https://artificialintelligenceact.eu/article/99/)) |

Recent telemarketing fines by the Garante:

| Company | Date | Fine | Issue |
| - | - | - | - |
| Enel Energia | February 2024 | EUR 79.1 million | Unauthorized sales agents used its systems for years of unwanted calls. The Court of Rome upheld the fine in September 2025 ([Garante](https://www.garanteprivacy.it/garante/doc.jsp?ID=9988921)). |
| Enel Energia | March 2026 | EUR 563,052 | Offers added to service calls despite refused marketing consent ([Garante](https://www.garanteprivacy.it/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/10233427)) |
| TIM | July 2026 | EUR 9.5 million | Spoofed calls by partners, then callback forms used as consent. Joining the code of conduct only reduced the fine ([Garante](https://www.garanteprivacy.it/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/10277005)). |

We found no Italian case yet about a conversational AI agent.

**Recent and upcoming changes.** The energy call ban applies since mid-June 2026, and the AI Act's disclosure duty since August 2, 2026. Legge 132/2025 asked the government to adapt Italian law to the AI Act by October 2026 (Art. 24), so check for new decrees before a large campaign.

## Sources

* [Codice privacy (D.Lgs. 196/2003)](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2003-06-30;196~art130), [Art. 121](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2003-06-30;196~art121), Art. 130, and [Art. 166](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2003-06-30;196~art166)
* [Legge 11 gennaio 2018, n. 5](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:legge:2018-01-11;5), Art. 1 and 2
* [DPR 27 gennaio 2022, n. 26](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:presidente.repubblica:decreto:2022-01-27;26), Art. 1 to 10
* [Registro pubblico delle opposizioni: operators](https://registrodelleopposizioni.it/operatore/) and [tariffs 2026](https://registrodelleopposizioni.it/operatore/tariffe/)
* [Garante: telemarketing](https://www.garanteprivacy.it/temi/telemarketing)
* [Codice di condotta per le attività di telemarketing e teleselling](https://www.garanteprivacy.it/garante/doc.jsp?ID=9868836), Art. 2, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 12, approved on [March 7, 2024](https://www.garanteprivacy.it/garante/doc.jsp?ID=9993808)
* [Garante: Linee guida in materia di attività promozionale e contrasto allo spam, July 4, 2013](https://www.garanteprivacy.it/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/2542348)
* Garante decisions: [Enel Energia, February 2024](https://www.garanteprivacy.it/garante/doc.jsp?ID=9988921), [newsletter of March 26, 2026](https://www.garanteprivacy.it/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/10233427), [FeGi M\&A Services, May 14, 2026](https://www.garanteprivacy.it/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/10262367), [TIM, July 23, 2026](https://www.garanteprivacy.it/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/10277005)
* [Codice del consumo (D.Lgs. 206/2005)](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2005-09-06;206~art51), Art. 26, 27, and 51
* [D.L. 20 febbraio 2026, n. 21](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legge:2026-02-20;21), converted by [Legge 10 aprile 2026, n. 49](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:legge:2026-04-10;49), Art. 1(5-bis)
* [D.L. 83/2012](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legge:2012-06-22;83~art24bis), Art. 24-bis
* [Legge 23 settembre 2025, n. 132](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:legge:2025-09-23;132), Art. 3, 4, 20, 24, and 26
* [AGCOM delibera 156/18/CIR](https://www.agcom.it/sites/default/files/migration/delibera/Delibera%20156-18-CIR.pdf) and [delibera 106/25/CONS](https://www.agcom.it/provvedimenti/delibera-106-25-cons)
* [Codice penale](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:regio.decreto:1930-10-19;1398:1~art617), Art. 617
* [Statuto dei lavoratori (Legge 300/1970)](https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:legge:1970-05-20;300~art4), Art. 4
* [GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj), Art. 4, 6, 7, 9, 13, 21, and 83
* [EU AI Act](https://artificialintelligenceact.eu/article/50/), Art. 50 and [Art. 99](https://artificialintelligenceact.eu/article/99/)

## Next steps

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Phone integration" icon="phone" href="/concepts/phone">
    Set up your phone line, introductions, and outbound calls.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Calling laws by country" icon="globe" href="/concepts/phone/countries">
    Compare consent rules for AI calls across the EU, the UK, and the US.
  </Card>
</Columns>


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