Privacy Network

What Privacy Network does

Privacy Network is an Italian non-profit association founded in 2018 in Milan by Andrea Baldrati, Diego Dimalta, and Matteo Navacci. It operates as a membership-based advocacy organization dedicated to promoting privacy culture, defending digital rights, and engaging with public institutions on technology policy. The association is governed under Italian third-sector law (D.lgs. 117/2017), funded primarily through €25 annual membership fees and potential grants/donations, and reports a headcount of 46 alongside hundreds of member volunteers.

The organization does not build commercial technology products. Its offerings are organized around three programmatic pillars — Digital Literacy (including the Privacy Kit toolkit), Digital Policy (advocacy and institutional dialogue), and Digital Surveillance (monitoring of automated and biometric systems) — plus the Osservatorio Sistemi Automatizzati research observatory, an annual research report, and investigative publications such as the SARI Enterprise facial recognition report produced jointly with StraLi. Distribution is primarily digital: privacy-network.it, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter/X, email newsletters, and online/in-person events managed via Eventbrite and Zoom.

Privacy Network's revenue mechanics are limited and undisclosed, with no external investors, no parent entity, and no funding rounds on record. The organization monetizes influence rather than products: it generates reputational and policy impact through research output, regulatory complaints (e.g., to the Garante Privacy on Lensa AI), coalition participation in Edri and the Reclaim Your Face campaign, and ongoing dialogue with Italian and European authorities. Its competitive position is anchored by the registered "Privacy Network" trademark, an institutional relationship portfolio, and a community ecosystem of privacy-conscious individual members and digital rights professionals.

Name

Privacy Network

Legal name

Privacy Network

Website

https://privacy-network.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Privacy Network is an Italian non-profit association founded in 2018 that advocates for privacy and digital rights through research, policy engagement, and digital literacy programs for privacy-conscious individuals and public institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Rights Advocacy and Privacy Research

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAAIAD

Digital Safety, Privacy & Cyber Hygiene

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Digital Literacy & Technology Skills for Adults

SECONDARYEDAFALAH

Student Data Privacy Management & Consent (FERPA/GDPR/COPPA)

Education/Education Technology (EdTech) & Digital Learning/Academic Integrity, Online Safety, Privacy & Compliance Tools

Keywords

• Privacy advocacy
• Digital rights research
• Privacy education
• Digital surveillance monitoring
• Data protection policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees of €25.00 per member. The association is funded primarily through member contributions and possibly public/private grants.
2. Grants and Institutional Funding: The association may receive contributions, donations, and funding from public institutions and private supporters, as indicated in the statute regarding contributions from members, non-members, public and private entities, and European/international contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Privacy Network is a non-profit association that promotes privacy culture and responsible technology use by combining advocacy, research, and education. It runs an observatory on automated decision-making and biometric surveillance systems (including a published investigation into the SARI Enterprise facial recognition system used by Italian police), conducts digital literacy programs with the Privacy Kit toolkit, and engages in digital policy advocacy at Italian and EU level, including legal complaints to the Garante Privacy. Offerings are delivered to individual members (annual €25 fee) and the broader public via events, publications, and campaigns such as Reclaim Your Face.

Product overview

Privacy Network is a non-profit association focused on privacy advocacy, digital rights education, and research on automated systems. Its offerings consist of advocacy campaigns, research publications, and educational resources rather than a commercial product platform. Key initiatives include the Osservatorio on Automated Systems (monitoring AI and surveillance technologies), Digital Literacy programs with the Privacy Kit, policy advocacy at national and EU levels, and investigative reports on specific technologies like the SARI Enterprise facial recognition system. The organization functions as a research and advocacy body rather than a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Osservatorio Sistemi Automatizzati An observatory initiative that monitors and analyzes automated decision-making systems used by Italian public administrations and law enforcement, including biometric surveillance technologies such as the SARI Enterprise facial recognition system.
• Digital Literacy Programs Educational programs and resources that promote digital literacy and privacy awareness among the general public, including the Privacy Kit toolkit for protecting privacy in the digital environment.
• Privacy Kit A practical toolkit and set of resources that helps citizens understand and protect their privacy rights in the digital environment.
• SARI Enterprise Investigation Report A detailed investigative report on the SARI Enterprise facial recognition system used by Italian police forces, analyzing legality, effectiveness, and impact on fundamental rights.
• Annual Report 2024-2025 Annual research publication covering trends in privacy, digital rights, and technology policy in Italy and Europe.
• Digital Surveillance Monitoring Monitoring and investigation of digital surveillance practices, including facial recognition systems, automated decision-making, and mass surveillance technologies.
• Lensa AI Complaint to Garante Privacy Legal complaint and advocacy action prepared by Privacy Network's legal team and submitted to the Garante per la protezione dei dati personali regarding Lensa AI and Magic Avatar applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Published investigation report on SARI Enterprise facial recognition system used by Italian police forces
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• StraLi (Strategic Litigation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025StraLi and Privacy Network conducted a joint investigation from April 2025 to April 2026 on SARI Enterprise, a facial recognition system used by Italian police. The collaboration produced a comprehensive report on the use of biometric surveillance by law enforcement in Italy, analyzing legality, practices, and impact on fundamental rights.
• Rete Diritti Umani Digitali (Digital Human Rights Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivacy Network is part of the Digital Human Rights Network, a coalition of Italian organizations committed to defending human rights in the digital context. The network collaborates on advocacy, research, and campaigns for digital rights.
• Edri (European Digital Rights)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivacy Network is a member of Edri and participates in campaigns such as 'Stop Scanning Me' and 'Keep It Safe and Secure (KISS)'. Edri is a European coalition working on digital rights and privacy advocacy.
• Reclaim Your Face CampaignmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrivacy Network participates in the Reclaim Your Face campaign against mass biometric surveillance. This is a European campaign coordinated through Edri calling for a ban on facial recognition and biometric data collection by law enforcement.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• European Digital Rights (EDRi): Brussels-based federation of digital rights NGOs that Privacy Network belongs to. EDRi operates similar advocacy, policy, and coalition work across EU privacy, AI, and surveillance issues, making it the closest direct peer and coalition umbrella.
• Privacy International: London-based NGO conducting investigations, litigation, and policy advocacy on surveillance and data exploitation. Highly comparable in mission and methodology to Privacy Network's surveillance monitoring and FOIA-driven investigations.
• Italian Coalition for Civil Liberties and Rights (CILD): Italian coalition of civil society organizations working on rights issues including digital rights. Direct structural peer at the Italian level with overlapping advocacy, research, and litigation activities.
• NOYB - None of Your Business: Vienna-based privacy enforcement organization founded by Max Schrems, focused on GDPR litigation and strategic complaints against major tech companies. Operates in the same privacy advocacy/complaint-to-authorities niche as Privacy Network but at a much larger EU-wide scale.

Broad incumbents

• Access Now: Global digital rights organization with broader scope across internet freedom, security, and privacy. Overlaps with Privacy Network on EU AI Act, biometric surveillance, and ChatControl-style campaigns at significantly larger scale.
• Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF): US-based leading digital rights non-profit with litigation, advocacy, and technical research on privacy and surveillance. Overlaps thematically with Privacy Network's surveillance monitoring mission and FOIA-style reporting.

Regional players

• Bits of Freedom: Amsterdam-based non-profit advocating for digital rights and privacy in the Netherlands. Comparable membership-driven non-profit structure and dual policy/litigation approach, focused on the Dutch/EU context.
• La Quadrature du Net: Paris-based advocacy group focused on digital rights, internet freedom, and privacy law. Operates as a member-driven association similar to Privacy Network's structure but primarily in the French-speaking EU context.

Emerging players

• Hermes Center for Transparency and Digital Rights: Greek-based non-profit focused on transparency, whistleblowing support, and digital rights. Part of the same broader European digital civil-society network as Privacy Network, with comparable advocacy and litigation tools.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/privacynetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/privacynetwork
• Instagraminstagram.com/privacynetwork_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Privacy Network