Italian Foreign Minister Tajani reported a leak of his personal data on the darknet

Data leak and the minister's reaction

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Saturday that cybercriminals had published his personal data on the darknet and had been circulating it for several days, while offering payment for additional information about him and his loved ones. According to him, this exposes him and his family to 'new threats and intimidation.' He summed up his reaction briefly: 'My reaction is very simple: I will not be intimidated in any form.' The minister made the statement in a post on the X platform, reports Anadolu.

Tajani linked the threats to the position on Ukraine

The minister linked what happened to Italy's foreign policy course: 'Our position on Ukraine is the political reason why I became a target.' In his view, defending the sovereignty, democracy and independence of Ukraine 'is dangerous in the eyes of these criminal structures.' He also cited the cybersecurity measures introduced at the Italian Foreign Ministry in recent months as part of the response to the threats: as of January 1, a special directorate for cybersecurity has been established there to counter cyber intrusions by structures that, according to the minister, 'are often in one way or another connected with state entities hostile to us.' Tajani added that the department 'is working and is connected with our allies,' and promised to continue strengthening cooperation in the fight against cyber threats.

What remains unclear

The publication is based on the minister's own statement: it contains no information about the perpetrators, the volume of leaked data or specific threats, and the link to the position on Ukraine and hostile state structures is Tajani's assessment, not an established fact of an investigation.