Big Brother Dept: Italian Lawmakers Attempt to Regulate Bloggers

[Kristijntje]

Recently, Italian lawmakers once again took aim at modern life, introducing an incredibly broad law that would effectively require all bloggers, and even users of social networks, to register with the state. Even a harmless blog about a favourite football squad or a teenager grousing about life’s unfairness would be subject to government oversight, and even taxation – even if it’s not a commercial website.

Outside Italy, the legislation has generated sniggers from hardly sympathetic industry observers. Boingboing cleverly reports Italy is proposing a “Ministry of Blogging.” Out-law.com plays it straighter, calling the measure an “anti-blogger” law...

full article: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/...732802.ece

more:

The law still has some hurdles to clear before it comes into force and is designed to clarify Italy's publishing laws, but one Italian politician has already said that the law draws comparisons with those of repressive regimes such as that in Burma...

full article: http://www.out-law.com/page-8570