Not Knowing the Law is No Excuse

Gianni Dell’Aiuto is an Italian attorney with over 35 years of experience in legal risk management, data protection, and digital ethics. Based in Rome and proudly Tuscan, he advises businesses globally on regulations like the GDPR, AI Act, and NIS2. An author and frequent commentator on legal innovation, he helps companies turn compliance into a competitive edge while promoting digital responsibility. Click here for more information on his website

C𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 Has Been Fined by 𝟯 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀.

𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟰 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗼

There are dangers you don’t see — Until They Stop Your Business
You probably think you’re safe. You’ve got a website, maybe an e-commerce site. Some tracking tools, a form to collect leads, and a chatbot.
Smart setup. Modern. Efficient.
But are you sure your digital toolbox isn’t also a legal minefield?

I’m not talking about hackers. I’m talking about regulators. About laws. About sanctions that you didn’t see coming until it's too late.
And when they hit, a six-figure fine can be a very late, very unpleasant reminder.

Because if your site, your system, or your software collects data from European citizens, even just a cookie, you may already be inside the EU legal perimeter.
And you might not even know it.

Did your face help train an algorithm, without your permission?
You’d say no, of course.
But that’s exactly what happened to millions of people through Clearview AI.
A US-based company. Extremely ambitious. Pushing the boundaries. Exceeding expectations.

But in Europe, things work differently.

Clearview scraped billions of photos from the web and used them to feed a facial recognition system.
No consent. No privacy policy. No transparency.
Just “innovation,” right?
Wrong.

Here’s the result:
€20 million fine in Italy
€20 million fine in France
€30.5 million fine in the Netherlands

And the story isn’t over. Because the other 24 European privacy watchdogs might wake up next, and when they do, they don’t bark.
They bite. Without warning.

What matters is simple: Clearview doesn’t even have offices in Europe.
But they touched European data — and that was enough.
Because data means people. Rights. Persons.

So here’s the real question:
Are you doing the same without even realizing it?

Do you know what your AI tools are collecting?
Have you checked what’s happening behind that chatbot?
Does your analytics system send data to a third country, maybe even just in debug mode?
Are you sure your cookies aren’t silently tagging EU visitors, without valid consent? How are your partners and suppliers involved and aware of this? Did you ask any lawyer if your software, your systems, your policy, and disclaimers are enough? Clearview didn't.

Maybe your clients might not know. But a European regulator might.
And they will take action under their rules.

This isn’t about fearing innovation.
AI is a great opportunity. But only if you use it with awareness, clarity, and responsibility.

Otherwise, you're not building value.
You're building risk. Line by line. Click by click.

And Europe doesn’t wait to ask questions.
It sends you a fine. Or worse, it shuts things down.

That’s why you need to know and comply with the GDPR, the AI Act, and NIS2.
Not just to obey the law.
But to turn legal responsibility into a business advantage.

Be the company with a conscience, and be proactive.

Before your system stops.
Before your reputation drops.
Before your inbox reads: “Investigation Notice.”
Before you get a bill with six zeros.
Maybe before your USA and Canadian clients wonder if you discriminate against them, because you do not protect them the same as Europeans.
You don’t need to be in Europe to be under the law.
Sometimes, a cookie is enough.

Tags: #GDPR Compliance, #Data Privacy Matters, #AI Regulation, #Tech Responsibility, #Digital Risk, #Clearview Case

Editor: Wendy S Huffman