Italy's privacy watchdog on Wednesday ordered the national tax office to immediately suspend the publication on its website of personal information filed by tax payers.
The action came in the wake of protests over the alleged violation of privacy by the tax office.
Through its website, the tax office had granted public access to the tax returns of private citizens which included their names, birthdates, addresses, declared income and tax paid, arranged alphabetically and according to the municipality where tax declarations were filed.
Tax office director Massimo Romano said the publication of the information was 'in the public interest in order to allow the free circulation of information in a framework of transparency''.
Romano also said that the publication was in line with guidelines established by Italy's privacy watchdog.
However, the agency responsible for privacy quickly denied any pre-knowledge of the tax office's initiative.
''The initiative by the tax office was never brought to our attention for review. An appropriate panel is currently examining the case,'' a statement from the watchdog said.
In its later order to shut down the tax office initiative, the agency said there were ''clear and significant problems concerning conformity with existing legislation'' on privacy.
The watchdog went on to urge the media not to publish any information taken from the tax office website before the initiative was suspended.
Consumer groups were up in arms over what they branded as ''a blatant violation of laws guaranteeing privacy which risks increasing crime and violence given that the information made public will be of great interest to criminal elements''.
''Among other things, there is no clause in standard tax forms authorising the publication or use of information supplied in the form and this is a further violation of laws governing privacy,'' consumer group Adoc pointed out.
Popular rabble-rousing comic Beppe Grillo defined the tax office's initiative as ''madness, pure madness. After the pardon which emptied the nations' jails, this imbecile outgoing government is offering criminals information on tax payers' incomes and giving them their addresses''.
''This is going to make paying taxes very dangerous. It will be much safer and less risky to just evade taxes and pay the fine if you're caught,'' he added.
Earlier this month, Grillo successfully staged his second V-Day against the establishment, with V standing for vaffanculo (f*** off).
According to economist Renato Brunetta, a close advisor to incoming premier Silvio Berlusconi, the tax office was right to seek greater transparency but should have done so in a less spectacular way.
''Transparency in fiscal matters is obligatory. However, the ways to achieve this should be examined with thought and caution,'' he said.
