Italy’s privacy authority, the Garante per la Protezione dei Dati Personali (GPDP), has ordered a temporary suspension of the “Faceboarding” biometric boarding system at Milan’s Linate Airport. The regulator ruled that the system, which was introduced in May 2024 to allow passengers to board without presenting a boarding pass or identity documents, did not comply with European data protection rules. The decision highlights growing regulatory pressure on the use of biometric technologies in air travel.
The GPDP’s ruling, published on September 11, 2025, cited several problems with the way Faceboarding was implemented. The system stored biometric templates for up to 12 months, relied on insufficient encryption measures, and failed to give passengers adequate control over how their sensitive data was used. Although facial recognition is not prohibited under Italian or European law, the authority determined that SEA, the operator of both Linate and Malpensa airports, had not met the standards required under the General Data Protection Regulation.
SEA has defended the system and stated that it believes Faceboarding complies with applicable rules. The company is cooperating with the GPDP as the investigation continues, and has been encouraged to explore technical solutions that would introduce stronger encryption, minimize data retention, and provide more active mechanisms for passengers to exercise their data rights. For now, the system will remain suspended until these issues are addressed.
The suspension comes at a time when European regulators are increasingly scrutinizing biometric boarding and border control initiatives. Airports have promoted facial recognition as a way to improve passenger flow and strengthen security, but privacy authorities continue to emphasize that convenience cannot override fundamental rights. The GPDP decision makes clear that compliance with the GDPR requires not only transparency and explicit consent but also robust safeguards against unauthorized use or excessive retention of biometric information.
Similar debates have unfolded around other biometric trials, such as the PopEye project at European borders, which tested gait recognition for travelers in motion. More broadly, legal challenges over biometric boarding have underscored the tension between efficiency gains and civil liberties. The Linate suspension extends these concerns into a concrete regulatory action, signaling that authorities are prepared to halt deployments they see as falling short of privacy law.
Source: The Local Italy
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By Ji-seo Kim
