Italy risks internet Stone Age

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DISTRACTED while thinking how to begin this column, I clicked on an email from a friend. She had sent me a YouTube video in which a tidy cylindrical shape on a shoulder strap unrolled to become a computer.

Almost every day, someone sends a YouTube clip or invites me to join them in Facebook or LinkedIn or something called Friendster.

When trying to find a way to contact a possible source last week, I Googled him and found he had Twitter but no listed phone number or email address. Maybe I should drop the curmudgeonly attitude and sign up myself.

None of this is remarkable, which is what makes an Italian judge's order last week ''astonishing'', as a Google spokesman put it.

Judge Oscar Magi in Milan found three Google executives guilty of invading the privacy of a disabled teenager in Turin. They didn't know him, didn't photograph him, nor were they aware of it when someone else posted a video of him being bullied by high-schoolers.

When Italian police informed Google it was hosting the video, employees took it down and helped authorities locate the teenager who posted it. She was prosecuted and sentenced to 10 months' community service.

Nonetheless, Google's chief legal officer, David Drummond, its global privacy counsel, Peter Fleischer, and former chief financial officer George Reyes now stand convicted in Italy of invading privacy. Each got suspended sentences of six months in jail. They are the first internet executives to be held criminally liable for something some outsider posted.

In Italy, executives are punished when their company does wrong. (In another context, I recently argued in favour of punishing individuals instead of companies, by the way. But in that case, somebody clearly did something wrong.) As for the Google matter, if these men or this company can be convicted in this case, then to operate comfortably in Italy, internet hosts must monitor content submitted by users and weed out any ahead of time that may offend the law.

On a practical level, the volume of user-generated content is too great to scrutinise, even if national mores allowed that sort of censorship.

Internet executives all over the world should be very, very nervous. If that were the law in the United States, it probably would have killed eBay, YouTube, Facebook and the rest before they got started, says Eric Goldman, who teaches law and technology at Santa Clara University in California.

''Rulings like this absolutely suppress entrepreneurial innovation,'' he says. Goldman suspects it is no coincidence that the US is the global leader in creating new enterprises based on user-generated content.

The US is a country with a free-speech tradition, and a 1996 law shields internet service providers from liability for content their users post. ''Congress has said it's safe to be an innovator,'' says Goldman.

Judge Magi has said it isn't. His ruling, if it stands, will chill speech and squelch the spirit that makes the internet an ever-evolving creature - engaging, educating, entertaining and connecting us in ways we could not imagine a few minutes ago.

From an American perspective, the ruling is crazy. Cultural differences help explain why we look at these things so differently. Americans don't know what it's like to be invaded by another country, as Italians do, or to feel as though a centuries-old culture and deeply held values are being swallowed up and trashed by technological invaders.

The ruling comes at a time when Europe is pushing back against American dominance on the internet. The European Commission has launched a preliminary investigation into Google for possible antitrust violations, for one thing. For another, Italy is considering a law that would create greater restrictions on internet companies, making them subject to the same sort of laws that govern television.

As for the case at hand, it's no wonder it caused a furore in Italy when the video exposed an innocent youngster to ridicule around the world. And even though his parents dropped their complaint against Google, I understand why a group that advocates for the disabled, Vivi Down, kept the case going.

It should be a crime to bully a vulnerable child and another crime to expose his humiliation to a global audience.

But Google took down the video when told of it. Google helped find the teenager who posted the video. Google and its executives acted responsibly, not criminally.

And if Italy wants to hold them responsible, it should anticipate a future without the internet innovations that freer countries in the world enjoy.

Now, how did they make that computer roll up like that?

Ann Woolner is a Bloomberg News columnist.

Source: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/italy-risks-internet-stone-age-with-trial-of-google-executives-20100228-pb4u.html

Live Six Nations - Italy v Scotland

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stargazer on 606: "Yet another pretty awful Six Nations match, to be honest..."

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eirebilly on 606: "That could very easily have been a yellow card there for Josh Sole. Not the greatest of games so far to be honest."

HALF-TIME: Italy with a maul, before Tebaldi finds himself scuttling backwards, and there goes the half-time whistle. Very poor start from Scotland, but Dan Parks finally got a handle on things and if he can retain some semblance of control, they should be OK in the second half. I say 'should'...

38 mins: Big rendition of Flower of Scotland - they reckon there are between 8-10,000 Scots in today - but Italy find a solid scrum and clear their lines. Danielli goes right and finds space before Beattie shrugs off a couple of tackles before being hauled down 10 metres short. Cynical from Josh Sole, coming in from the side to prevent Cusiter from getting the ball away... Parks skews his penalty kick wide. That should have been a try really, replays show Scotland had a three-on-two.

35 mins: Scotland settling at last, this time Southwell finds a good touch with that big left boot of his. Parks sees acreage and finds another good touch on the Italy 22. Scotland steal at the back of the line-out and Barclay goes on the hoof. Morrison looks to find a gap, before Cusiter goes on a snipe... forward pass, Italy scrum.

33 mins: PENALTY Italy 6-6 Scotland Scotland go wide before Max Evans puts Danielli in with an inside pass. This time it goes left, and lock Kellock receives it out on the left wing. Penalty for Scotland, Mauro Bergamasco lets Murray know what he thinks about it... two from two from Dan Parks, Scotland level.

29 mins: Scotland are really being outmuscled here more than anything else - Cusiter is forced to backpedal by Castrogiovanni, before Gower bamboozles Southwell with a chip through. Second row Geldenhuys pops up in midfield, before Italy kick the ball away. Scotland really need some possession, a few phases, but that is a top-class kick from Parks, finding touch five metres out from the Italian try-line. Italy take a quick one and clear their lines.

26 mins: Tebaldi with the box-kick, Danielli is underneath it, and Italian wing Masi is penalised for a high tackle. Not much in it really, but Scotland are allowed to creep back into the Italian half.

24 mins: Italy burgle the Scotland line-out now, but Beattie gives it away. Max Evans sparks the afterburners, but Zanni blocks his attempted pass. Another solid scrum from Scotland, but once again Italy turn the Scotland backs over. Very poor so far from the Scotland three-quarters, this time Sean Lamont has the ball torn from his grasp by Mauro Bergamasco.

22 mins: PENALTY Italy 6-3 Scotland Parks starting to hit his straps, that's a lovely round-house kick into the Italian 22. And that's the first steal of the day, allowing Barclay to go on a stroll through the middle. Scotland win the penalty, and Dan Parks slots it from out right to get the Scots on the scoreboard.

18 mins: Italy have had 69% territory so far and and 65% possession, which just about tells you all you need to know. Garcia misses the pass form Gower in midfield, so Canale is forced to kick, aimlessly. Sweet kick from Parks, Scotland need him to start playing.

16 mins: Gower gives the ball some hammer, before Southwell takes the ball into contact. But that's another turnover, and Scotland find themselves back in their own 22. Superb work from Italy centre Garcia, ripping the ball from Southwell's grasp.

14 mins: PENALTY Italy 6-0 Scotland Another penalty for Italy for hands in the ruck, and this one's straight in front. Skipper Ghiraldini summons Mirco Bergamasco again, and Italy double their lead. The Scots haven't had a sniff.

12 mins: Box kick from Tebaldi. Hamilton picks up form the back of the ruck before lock Kellock goes on a charge. Italy have nicked it though and Mauro Bergamasco chips through... Parks is shoved aside, but that's good covering from Southwell who nonchalantly side-foots into touch.

10 mins: PENALTY Italy 3-0 Scotland That penalty was just out of kickable range, so McLean kicked for touch. Tebaldi dummies and goes, but Scotland tight-head Euan Murray gives away the penalty for standing up in the scrum and Italy will take the kick at goal. Mirco Bergamasco makes no mistake from just right of the uprights.

7 mins: The newly-shorn McLean with a fine take under his own posts. Beattie gets on a rumble, before Scotland spread it right. Ross Ford tries to take a short ball, but Italy steal it. Gower's kick is partially charged down, before Scotland are pinged for holding onto the ball.

6 mins: Max Evans skips past a couple of tackles but spills and Italy nick the ball. Masi kicks for touch, but he carried that back into the 22 and it's a Scotland throw back from whence it came.

4 mins: Scotland get a shove on at scrum-time and you don't see that very often, the Italian pack shifted backwards and the Scots win the penalty. Scotland kick for touch and win the shortened line-out.

3 mins: Italy go left again after a John Beattie knock on, but Mirco Bergamasco muffs a catch and it's a scrum. Nervy, scrappy start, and you wouldn't have expected anything different.

1 min: Rome bouncing after the anthems, it's Italy to get us under way. Southwell sticks a long left boot over the head of Italy full-back McLean. Italy put width on it, before Mirco Bergamasco is hauled into touch.

By James Standley

1328: The teams are on the pitch in Rome and the anthems are about to start. If there is a more rousing end to an anthem than that of Italy then I've yet to hear it. It is a lovely sunny day in the Eternal City and conditions are perfect for handling - although I suspect we'll see more of that from the Scots than from the hosts, albeit new fly-half Craig Gower seems intent on moving the ball more than some of his recent predecessors.

1326: Scotland's match against Wales was marred by a serious neck injury to Thom Evans. Fortunately, after two operations, the wing is on his way to recovery and his brother Max, who starts in the centres in Rome, has vowed to "play for Thommy".

1322: Scotland's recent Six Nations record is as bad as Italy's, with only two wins in their last 15 Six Nations matches, the most recent coming against Italy in last year's championship. However, both sides will take a fair degree of confidence into the game, with Italy having pushed England all the way last time out, and Scotland having deserved much more than they got after leading Wales until the dying seconds in Cardiff.

1317: Italy remain unarguably the weakest of teams in the Six Nations and they go into the game on the back of an appalling run which has seen them win only one game in their last 16 Tests. They have also lost their last seven Six Nations matches but they have a respectable record against Scotland - four wins out of 10 matches is none too shabby.

1312: London's archaic travel system means the splendidly named Ben Dirs, your regular creating pictures with wordsmith, is unavoidably delayed, so I'll keep you company until his limousine finally makes it.

1307: For those who missed it, Friday night's match was another thriller in Cardiff, but whereas 13-man Scotland could not hold off the Welsh recovery two weeks ago, France had enough in the tank to keep the hosts at arm length, and also had the presence of mind to kick the ball dead when they restarted after Shane Williams's last-gasp try try. On paper Italy v Scotland does not look so enticing but the Scots are playing some vibrant rugby under Andy Robinson and they'll be hoping to claim their third away win against Italy in the Six Nations.

1300: Afternoon all. After a night of drama in Cardiff, with Wales once again mounting a second half-fightback but this time failing to do what they did to Scotland and instead going down to France, we have two more Six Nations clashes to occupy you this afternoon. First up is Italy v Scotland in an encounter that has Wooden Spoon decider written all over it. After the Rome match we head across to London, where unbeaten England host Ireland at Twickenham. No doubt you all have plenty to say about how the day's action will pan out so get involved on 606 or via text on either 81111 i f you're in the UK or +44 7786200666 of you're elsewhere around the globe.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/8540523.stm