Web sites responsible for all content they display, even user-posted content. Web sites
with user-generated content, however, are not well suited to this type of supervision.
The most visible incident related to this law occurred in November 2006, when prosecutors began an investigation of two representatives of Google after a violent video
of four Italian teenagers attacking a disabled student was posted on Google Video. 19
Italian media law restricts the press from publishing anything that might be deemed
‘‘counter to morality,’’ a restriction Google allegedly violated by failing to check the
content of the video before it was posted. 20
In 2006, blogger Roberto Mancini was fined EUR 13,500 for criticizing several journalists in northern Italy on his blog. The verdict of the case stated that while the statements were not untrue (they were widely considered to be inappropriate), Mancini
was responsible for everything that was posted, including some vulgar reader comments, and that it was his duty to act as an editor and remove any messages that were
offensive. 21
The National Security Committee, established in 2002, handles all Internet-related
security concerns. The committee is composed of members from academia, the military, and the legal sector. Some concern has been expressed that nongovernmental
civil rights organizations have not been consulted during public hearings held by the
committee. 22
Internet filtering in Italy has come to public attention largely through the government’s directives to ISPs. In 2006, Italy enacted a law that requires ISPs to block the
Web sites of gambling operators that are not licensed nationally. The law, which affects
more than 600 Web sites, isolates the country’s EUR 500 million gambling market
from all but local operators. Providers that continue to allow users to place bets with
banned Web sites after receiving a list of the offending sites from the Amministrazione
Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato (AAMS, Autonomous Administration of State Monopolies, a part of the Ministry of Economy and Finances) may be fined anywhere from
EUR 30,000 to EUR 180,000 per violation. 23 Internet users who attempt to access the
Web sites of foreign bookmakers are shown a message explaining that bets must go
through the proper channels, and are directed to the AAMS. 24
In January 2007, a law was passed requiring ISPs to block Web sites that display child
pornography within six hours of receiving a notice from the Ministry of Communications. 25 The Centro Nazionale per il Contrasto della Pedopornografia (The National Center
against Child Pornography, part of the Ministry of Communications) is in charge of
maintaining a list of these Web sites. After receiving an initial list of banned Web sites
from the center, ISPs had 60 days to block them at the domain-name level and 120
days to block them at the IP-address level. 26
The ‘‘.it’’ country code is regulated by the Registro del ccTLD.it Rules Committee,
which is made up of representatives of the Ministry of Communications and various
Italian Internet associations. 27 Actual registration takes place through private ‘‘Maintainers’’ who register and maintain domain names on behalf of customers. Maintainers
320
Italy
with user-generated content, however, are not well suited to this type of supervision.
The most visible incident related to this law occurred in November 2006, when prosecutors began an investigation of two representatives of Google after a violent video
of four Italian teenagers attacking a disabled student was posted on Google Video. 19
Italian media law restricts the press from publishing anything that might be deemed
‘‘counter to morality,’’ a restriction Google allegedly violated by failing to check the
content of the video before it was posted. 20
In 2006, blogger Roberto Mancini was fined EUR 13,500 for criticizing several journalists in northern Italy on his blog. The verdict of the case stated that while the statements were not untrue (they were widely considered to be inappropriate), Mancini
was responsible for everything that was posted, including some vulgar reader comments, and that it was his duty to act as an editor and remove any messages that were
offensive. 21
The National Security Committee, established in 2002, handles all Internet-related
security concerns. The committee is composed of members from academia, the military, and the legal sector. Some concern has been expressed that nongovernmental
civil rights organizations have not been consulted during public hearings held by the
committee. 22
Internet filtering in Italy has come to public attention largely through the government’s directives to ISPs. In 2006, Italy enacted a law that requires ISPs to block the
Web sites of gambling operators that are not licensed nationally. The law, which affects
more than 600 Web sites, isolates the country’s EUR 500 million gambling market
from all but local operators. Providers that continue to allow users to place bets with
banned Web sites after receiving a list of the offending sites from the Amministrazione
Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato (AAMS, Autonomous Administration of State Monopolies, a part of the Ministry of Economy and Finances) may be fined anywhere from
EUR 30,000 to EUR 180,000 per violation. 23 Internet users who attempt to access the
Web sites of foreign bookmakers are shown a message explaining that bets must go
through the proper channels, and are directed to the AAMS. 24
In January 2007, a law was passed requiring ISPs to block Web sites that display child
pornography within six hours of receiving a notice from the Ministry of Communications. 25 The Centro Nazionale per il Contrasto della Pedopornografia (The National Center
against Child Pornography, part of the Ministry of Communications) is in charge of
maintaining a list of these Web sites. After receiving an initial list of banned Web sites
from the center, ISPs had 60 days to block them at the domain-name level and 120
days to block them at the IP-address level. 26
The ‘‘.it’’ country code is regulated by the Registro del ccTLD.it Rules Committee,
which is made up of representatives of the Ministry of Communications and various
Italian Internet associations. 27 Actual registration takes place through private ‘‘Maintainers’’ who register and maintain domain names on behalf of customers. Maintainers
320
Italy