Italiaonline
Italiaonline is a major Italian digital services group that provides web analytics, programmatic advertising, lead generation and online presence solutions to local and national businesses through its Libero, Virgilio, Pagine Gialle and Italiaonline Business brands. It deploys JavaScript tags on customer websites that read and write cookies and forward audience signals to its EU based platform, which makes it subject to GDPR and Italian Garante cookie rules.
What does Italiaonline do?
What Italiaonline is and how it works
Italiaonline is the largest Italian web services and digital advertising company. It operates the Libero, Virgilio and Pagine Gialle portals, the Italiaonline Business product suite and a substantial programmatic advertising network across the Italian web. For business customers it provides website builders, analytics, programmatic ad tags, lead generation widgets and SEO services. The Italiaonline tags deployed on customer sites typically read and write cookies and forward identifiers to the Italiaonline platform.
What data Italiaonline collects
IP address, user agent, screen resolution, page URL, referrer, UTM parameters, visitor identifier cookies, session identifiers, custom events configured by the customer, and for advertising solutions: ad impressions, clicks and segment memberships derived from browsing across the Italiaonline ad network.
GDPR and ePrivacy implications
Italiaonline tags read or write cookies and share identifiers with a third party for analytics and advertising. Article 5(3) ePrivacy as transposed by Italian law and Garante guidelines requires prior consent. In Italy the Garante has reinforced that pre ticked boxes, scrolling consent and implied consent are not valid, and that the reject option must be as easy as the accept option.
Consent requirements
Italiaonline analytics and advertising cookies must only fire after the user has explicitly accepted the relevant purposes. The consent banner must allow refusal in a single action, must not use dark patterns and must let the user change preferences afterwards. Italiaonline provides cookie banner integrations consistent with Garante guidelines.
International data transfers
Italiaonline's core processing is in the EU, which simplifies compliance for European customers. Where partner ad networks involve transfers outside the EU, Italiaonline relies on Standard Contractual Clauses and supplementary measures. Review the sub processor list when integrating with the programmatic offer.
Practical compliance steps
Sign a DPA, deploy a Garante compliant cookie banner, block Italiaonline tags until consent is given, document each tag in the records of processing, segregate analytics from advertising purposes, configure conservative retention, and audit access. Update the cookie policy with every Italiaonline cookie listed by name, purpose and duration.
Italiaonline and the GDPR
Italiaonline is classified as “Analytics”. On a site that targets European visitors, it must only load after the visitor consents, and it must be listed in your cookie policy.
- Legal basis
- Italiaonline tags read and write cookies and share identifiers with a third party for analytics and advertising. Article 5(3) ePrivacy and the Italian Codice Privacy require prior, freely given consent. The Garante Italian DPA has issued specific guidance on cookie consent that Italiaonline implementations must follow.
- Risk level
- medium
- Applicable regulations
- GDPR, ePrivacy Directive, Italian Codice Privacy (D.Lgs. 196/2003 as amended), Garante guidelines on cookies, CNIL guidance for French sites, BfDI guidance for German sites.
Impact assessment (DPIA)
A DPIA is recommended where Italiaonline runs cross site audience segmentation, programmatic advertising or lead generation at scale. Document necessity, retention, the categories of cookies and identifiers, the role of partner networks, and how the implementation respects the Italian Garante guidelines on cookies.
Sample text for your banner
We use Italiaonline analytics and advertising solutions to measure our audience and deliver our advertising. Italiaonline stores cookies on your device and processes your data in the European Union. We will only activate these cookies if you accept analytics and advertising.
What Italiaonline sets and contacts
- Tracking method
- Italian digital marketing and web analytics services. Italiaonline runs JavaScript tags on customer websites for traffic measurement, audience segmentation and advertising attribution across its Libero, Virgilio and Italiaonline Business properties. It also delivers programmatic advertising tags and lead generation widgets.
- Server location
- Italy and other European Union locations. Italiaonline is an Italian company headquartered in Milan, with primary processing in Italian and EU data centres.
Cookies set (3)
| Name | Type | Duration | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| iol_uid | persistent | 1 year | Italiaonline visitor identifier used to recognise returning visitors for analytics and audience segmentation. Requires consent. |
| iol_sid | session | session | Italiaonline session identifier used to group page views and events into a single session. Requires consent. |
| iol_ad | persistent | 90 days | Italiaonline advertising cookie used for frequency capping and audience segmentation across the Italiaonline ad network. Requires consent. |
Third-party domains contacted (4)
italiaonline.itlibero.itvirgilio.itiol.it
Frequently asked questions about Italiaonline
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What cookies does Italiaonline set?
Italiaonline tags typically set visitor identifier cookies, session identifiers and, for the advertising product, cookies used for audience segmentation and frequency capping across the Italiaonline ad network. Names vary by integration (for example iol_uid, iol_sid) and must be listed in the customer's cookie policy.
Does Italiaonline require user consent?
Yes. Italiaonline tags read and write cookies for analytics and advertising. Article 5(3) ePrivacy and the Italian Codice Privacy require prior consent. The Italian Garante guidelines specifically forbid pre ticked boxes, scrolling consent and implied consent.
What is the legal basis for Italiaonline?
Consent under article 6(1)(a) GDPR combined with article 5(3) ePrivacy and the Italian Garante guidelines for analytics and advertising cookies. Legitimate interest is not a valid alternative for cookie based tracking purposes.
Does Italiaonline send data outside the EU?
Italiaonline's core processing is in the EU. Some partner ad networks within the programmatic offer may involve transfers outside the EU, which are governed by Standard Contractual Clauses and supplementary measures documented by Italiaonline.
Do we need a DPIA for Italiaonline?
A DPIA is recommended where the integration includes large scale cross site audience profiling, lead generation with sensitive data or significant automated decision making. Document purposes, partners, retention, transfers and the consent workflow.
How do we implement Italiaonline compliantly?
Sign a DPA, deploy a Garante compliant cookie banner, block Italiaonline tags through a Consent Management Platform, list every Italiaonline cookie in the cookie policy, segregate analytics from advertising, define retention and audit access. Test the banner with reject only flows.
What alternatives to Italiaonline exist?
Alternatives include Matomo, Piwik PRO, Plausible and Fathom for analytics, and local EU ad networks such as Outbrain Italy, Triboo and Mediamond for advertising. For lead generation, EU based providers like Trustly, ContactPigeon or local DMPs can replace Italiaonline modules.
How do we update the cookie policy when using Italiaonline?
List each Italiaonline cookie by name, with vendor, purpose (analytics or advertising), retention, and legal basis (consent). Add the link to Italiaonline's privacy policy and to the consent preference centre. Update whenever Italiaonline updates its products or sub processors.
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