Italy Proposes Law To Force Bloggers To Take Down Content Claimed To Be 'Defamatory'
from the silencing-dissent dept
We’ve noticed in the past that there have been an awful lot of questionable anti-internet laws proposed in Italy over the past few years, and it appears that’s not ending any time soon. The latest, as pointed out by CitMediaLaw is a proposed new law that would potentially fine bloggers as much as $18,000 if they do not remove content called defamatory within in a short period of time. Note that this is not content that a lawsuit finds to be defamatory, but merely content that someone declares to be defamatory. In other words, it’s a great way to force bloggers to delete any content someone doesn’t like. As the article notes, with so much of the mainstream media in the country owned by the Prime Minister himself, having alternative outlets for news and information is important — but this bill would put serious chilling effects on those alternative outlets. In response, a bunch of bloggers have apparently gone on “strike” and refused to post content one day to protest the proposed law.
Filed Under: bloggers, censorship, defamation, free speech, italy
Comments on “Italy Proposes Law To Force Bloggers To Take Down Content Claimed To Be 'Defamatory'”
looks like another business opportunity for Antigua – the worlds friendliest internet hosts
LAWL
“How would you feel if you were anonymously insulted on the internet every day?”
This is what happens when stupid people with power use the internet.
(Mike can you post a link that does not force a print)
MCS LAWL
Just the smart ones like yourself should be able to use the internet, right? Anonymous insults are spoken by persons walking by you every day, we should fine them too? No more picking on someone you disagree with, voicing your opinion, you may have to do time or pay crazy fines. Thicken that skin and realize your good name is maintained by your integrity and not by bloggers. It should only be the courts that decide, after a hearing whether the blogger has stepped over the line.
Hard to believe
That Europe gave birth to ideas like individual freedom and democracy.
They must have immigrated to the U.S. on the Mayflower.
You all suck.. (Send the bill too…..)
The strike ??
I’ll tell you how the strike thing was born.
Journalists (quite all of them) proclamed a strike due to 14th july to protest against the law (which comprises even worse things, like forbidding phone intercepting by police and so on).
Then a handful of bloggers said they were on board to protest that day (without thinking that perhaps nobody cares if a blogger doesn’t blog — even better for some..).
As 14th July came, no journalist went on strike. All italian newspaper we’re fully updated. And each of them had a news about that ‘bloggers strike’.
It wasn’t a bloggers strike. It was a journalist strike. A strike they planned but didn’t do. Screw them.
Can I claim the law to be Defamatory ?