Less than a week after the high−profile acquittal of Amanda Knox, Italy is once again making international headlines.
Wikipedia has hidden its Italian content in protest of a new bill, Disegno di legge: norme in materia di intercettazioni telefoniche (DDL) — translated into English as the Lawful Wiretapping Bill. Promoted by embattled Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and currently under review by Parliament, DDL would prevent the media from publishing the content of wiretapped conversations, a rather ubiquitous concept in Italy.
DDL would also require news organizations to remove from their publications any material that an individual deems harmful to his or her image within 48 hours or else pay a fine of 10,000 euros, or $12,630. In addition, aside from removing the offensive content, organizations would be forced to allow the offended party to post a reply without any edits or comments. These are the provisions to which Wikipedia objects. If the bill passes, Wikipedia says it may shut down its Italian site.
Berlusconi has been viewed in a negative light and involved in a variety of scandals, practically from the day he assumed office. He's currently on trial for using taxpayer money to fund his sex life, including orders for prostitutes — one of whom was allegedly underage.
Recently leaked, humiliating wiretaps are to thank for his run−ins with the law. In one tape, Berlusconi is heard boasting of having sex with eight women in a single night. In another, he jokes that he is "only prime minister in his spare time."
The wiretapping bill is a poor attempt by Berlusconi and his loyalists to rescue the Prime Minister's image amid such a humiliating scandal. However, in the process, DDL poses a grave threat to free speech, violates the Italian constitution — which clearly prohibits government censorship of the media — and is hardly appropriate for a democratic country like Italy.
The law would effectively prevent both major Italian news organizations and citizen bloggers from posting any incriminating information about any public figure. If the sole criterion for forcing a website to remove coverage of an individual is simply that the individual in question finds it offensive, it will be nearly impossible for journalists to carry out their civic duty to report the objective truth.
We are in full support of Wikipedia's decision to remove its Italian content. Like blogs and newspapers, Wikipedia's purpose will be seriously imperiled if it is forced to remove all unflattering content from its Italian pages. It is hard to conceive how an organization like Wikipedia — committed to providing objective content — could function with the constant threat of government censorship looming over its coverage.
Berlusconi personally owns three of Italy's seven main terrestrial news channels. Of the remaining four, three are state−owned, thus granting Berlusconi nearly complete control of the Italian media. It's a power he exploits at every opportunity. He has denied funding to state−run news organizations that publish unflattering coverage of his administration and has used lawsuits to try to silence groups that aren't within the government's grasp.
This latest proposal is designed with the clear goal of protecting Berlusconi from further embarrassment from his sexcapades.
Parliament is packed with Berlusconi loyalists. DDL has a strong chance of passing. It is hopeless for a college newspaper in Massachusetts to call for its rejection, but it's important for Americans to be aware of the crime against the media about to be perpetrated by the Italian government. Instead of supporting an unjust bill, we urge you to join the calls for Berlusconi to resign, which at this point is the best thing he could do for himself and his country.
