Peri News / Italy
School AI: Italian privacy regulator backs draft MIM decree
According to the opinion, the draft ministerial decree provides for pseudonymous accounts and separation of identifying data. The regulator calls for support for schools choosing providers.
Italy’s data protection authority, the Garante per la protezione dei dati personali, has issued a favourable opinion with observations on the Ministry of Education and Merit’s (MIM) draft decree concerning AI use in Italian schools and its technical annex. The opinion dated 20 October 2026, entered in the register of measures as No. 787, is summarised here (consulted on 12 November 2026). The draft’s measures are described in the opinion; final adoption of the decree has not been verified.
According to the description in the opinion, the draft provides for students to access systems through pseudonymous accounts, with information linking them to identities stored separately by the school and accessible only to the headteacher and authorised teachers for their respective duties. The version examined takes account of the authority’s Office’s observations on prohibiting the AI technology partner from processing identifying data. As a rule, that partner would be separate from the partner supporting configuration of the electronic register, student registry and identifier mapping table. In the exceptional case where the roles coincide, additional measures would be needed to ensure effective separation between the environments. Both partners would have to declare compliance with the annex’s measures to the school.
The opinion also describes guidance to avoid identifiers in prompts and school information campaigns discouraging voluntary entry into generative AI systems of personal data that could compromise dignity, confidentiality and data protection. Transfers outside the European Economic Area would be permitted only where strictly necessary and in compliance with Article 45 and subsequent provisions of the GDPR. In its concluding observations, the authority asks MIM to support schools in choosing solutions, potentially by defining provider standards and requirements and identifying standard service models. It also recommends considering an assistance service, including support in dealings with providers.