Google Italy Ruling ‘Threat to Internet Freedom’

Nick Pisa
London Telegraph
Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Three Google executives were convicted on Wednesday of violating privacy laws by allowing disturbing footage of a disabled Italian boy being bullied to be posted on the internet.

The ruling was the first of its kind in history and was condemned by critics as “the biggest threat to internet freedom we have seen”.

Marco Pancini, a spokesman for Google Italy, said: “This verdict is an attack on the fundamental principles of liberty on which internet freedom is built.

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“We will be appealing against this verdict because the people in question had nothing to do with the uploading of the footage, they did not film it and they did not view it.

“The executives took on this case with courage and dignity despite the excesses of justice – the responsibility of what goes on the web is always down to the person who uploads it.”

• A d v e r t i s e m e n t

Labour MP Tom Watson said: “This is the biggest threat to internet freedom we have seen in Europe. The only people who will support this decision are Silvio Berlusconi and the governments of China and Iran. It effectively breaks the internet in Italy.”

Full story here.

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