Latest news and stories about data privacy in Portugal for expats and residents.
Portuguese electronics retailer Worten was hit by a cyberattack that allowed unauthorized access to customer and service provider data. The company said that the security vulnerability has been corrected, confirming that no passwords, credit card numbers, or financial details were compromised. Worten began contacting affected customers directly while an internal forensic investigation remains underway.
Minister of National Defence Nuno Melo downplayed a cyberattack targeting his personal mobile phone, telling parliament that no public official is completely immune to electronic intrusions. Speaking during debates on the State Budget (Orçamento do Estado), Melo explained he disclosed the incident for educational reasons to outline security risks when software updates are neglected on smartphones. Melo faced questioning on the breach from Chega deputy Nuno Simões de Melo during the committee hearing.
Nuno Melo is the leader of CDS-PP (Centro Democrático e Social – Partido Popular), a Christian democratic party on Portugal’s centre-right, and Minister of National Defence in Luís Montenegro’s government, where CDS-PP governs in coalition with the PSD. He was previously a Member of the European Parliament.
Chega ("Enough") is a Portuguese far-right populist party founded in 2019 by André Ventura. It positions itself as an anti-establishment movement against what it calls a "rotten and corrupt system" of PS-PSD dominance. The party surged from 1.3% in 2019 to 22.8% in May 2025, becoming parliament's second-largest force with 60 seats. Chega's core platform emphasizes strict immigration control—ending automatic CPLP residency, deporting non-independent immigrants, implementing job-market quotas, and requiring five-year social security contributions before benefit access. It advocates radical constitutional reform, including reducing parliament to 100 members, abolishing the prime minister position for a presidential system, and dismantling public healthcare. Law-and-order policies include life imprisonment and chemical castration proposals.
The party is defined by inflammatory anti-Romani rhetoric, with Ventura convicted multiple times for discrimination. Chega maintains international alignments with European far-right figures including Marine Le Pen, Santiago Abascal, and Matteo Salvini. Mainstream Portuguese parties, including Prime Minister Luís Montenegro's government, have imposed a cordon sanitaire, refusing coalition with Chega despite its parliamentary strength.
A cyberattack has compromised the National Registry of Portuguese Firefighters (Recenseamento Nacional de Bombeiros Portugueses or RNBP), exposing the personal records of approximately 60,000 firefighters. The National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Proteção Civil or ANEPC) confirmed that hackers accessed and copied sensitive data, including citizen card numbers, tax identifiers, social security details, and health service records. ANEPC suspended the platform and advised regional commands and firefighters to maintain high vigilance against fraud and phishing attempts.
The National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Proteção Civil or ANEPC) oversees disaster planning, emergency operations, and civil protection across mainland Portugal. Operating under the Ministry of Internal Administration, the agency coordinates the national firefighting network and issues warnings for severe weather, floods, and wildfires. Residents and visitors rely on ANEPC bulletins and SMS alerts for evacuation instructions and safety notices during extreme climate events.
Metro Mondego has alerted pass holders that personal information, including names and identification numbers, may have been copied during a ransomware attack on July 6. The company, which operates the metrobus service between Lousã and Coimbra, confirmed that bank payment data remains secure while it works with cybersecurity experts to manage the incident.
The Lisbon City Council has expressed deep concern after the neo-Nazi group Movimento Armilar Lusitano (MAL) was found to be targeting political officeholders. The council condemned the group following revelations that a Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública or PSP) officer, currently seconded to the Municipal Police, accessed the personal data of elected officials.
The PSP (Polícia de Segurança Pública) is Portugal's national civilian police force, founded in 1867. Responsible for defending Republican democracy and safeguarding internal security and citizens' rights, the PSP polices major cities—Lisbon, Porto, Faro—and large urban areas, covering only 4% of Portugal's territory but roughly half the population. Led by a National Director under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, its approximately 21,500 officers handle preventive policing, crime investigation, public order, airport security, diplomatic protection, private security regulation, firearms licensing, and border control (since 2023).
PSP vs. GNR: The PSP is civilian with police-focused training and urban jurisdiction, while the GNR (Guarda Nacional Republicana) is military (gendarmerie) with military training, covering 96% of Portugal's rural and suburban territory. Both share core public safety missions but differ fundamentally in nature, training, and geographic responsibility.
A hacker has reportedly stolen one million data records from the Locky locker service operated by the national postal service, CTT. The company confirmed the breach, stating that the stolen information includes contact details, delivery identification, and collection times, but clarified that financial data and passwords remain secure. CTT has notified the National Cybersecurity Center (Centro Nacional de Cibersegurança) and is contacting affected customers.
