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Berlusconi Plans to Use G8 Presidency to "Regulate the Internet"

Wednesday 03 December 2008

by: Chris Williams  |  The Register UK

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Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi intends to push for an International agreement to regulate the internet. (Photo: Getty Images)

    Italian president and media baron Silvio Berlusconi said today that he would use his country's imminent presidency of the G8 group to push for an international agreement to "regulate the internet."

    Speaking to Italian postal workers, Reuters reports Berlusconi said: "The G8 has as its task the regulation of financial markets... I think the next G8 can bring to the table a proposal for a regulation of the internet." Click here to find out more!

    Italy's G8 presidency begins on January 1. The role is taken by each of the group's members in rotation. The holder country is responsible for organising and hosting the G8's meetings and setting the agenda. Italy's last G8 presidency in 2001, also under Berlusconi, was marred by riots at the annual meeting in Genoa.

    Berlusconi didn't explain what he meant by "regulate the internet", but the mere mention of it has prompted dismay among Italian commentators. Berlusconi owns swathes of the Italian mass media.

    The left-wing newspaper L'Unita wrote: "You can not say that it is not a disturbing proclamation, given that the only countries in the world where there are filters or restrictions against internet are countries ruled by dictatorial regimes: those between China, Iran, Cuba, Saudi Arabia."

    La Stampa reports Italian bloggers are planning to protest against any move by the president to tighten government control over the web tomorrow. They plan to display anti-Berlusconi banners on their websites.

    Any G8 move next year to "regulate the internet" led by Berlusconi is likely to attract criticism. He has often been accused of using his power to try to silence dissent. He lost a long-running libel battle against The Economist earlier this year after it said he was not "fit to run Italy" and was this week suing American critic Andrew Stille for defamation.

    However, the governments of industrialised nations have been ramping up their rhetoric against internet content they view as unacceptable. The UK has introduced new laws and revived arcane ones to clamp down on extremist websites and niche pornography. Australia is busy implementing filters. ยฎ

  

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Comments

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Silvio Berlusconi, like

 Sat, 12/06/2008 - 19:49 โ€” Bruce (not verified)
Silvio Berlusconi, like Robert Murdoch, wants to control the information that is made available to the public so as to control perceptions and opinion which in turn provides control over who gets elected to office. The Internet is the only medium available for independent presentation of information and for public discourse that is not controlled by corporations with their own private agendas. Regulating the Internet really means controlling the competition to Berlusconi's media companies and providing a complete monopoly on the information sources available to the public. Nothing threatens democracy more than these media barons and their attacks on the public's right to know what the people in government are doing or not doing . One need only look at the stories that are not reported by FOX or MSNBC to see the effect of this corporate lead censorship of the news.

Berlusconi, Mussolini -

 Sat, 12/06/2008 - 19:55 โ€” Anonymous (not verified)
Berlusconi, Mussolini - Only dif is what the "eye" follows. I've stated numerous times that Berlusconi - a born-again fascist - should not be in charge in Italy. It's a bit like Rupert Murdoch being sent to Canberra as PM - only worse. This will pass and - with luck - be forgotten. Berlusconi, is a vapid little twit who best be carefully watched and kept out of our misery with vigilance. I feel a certain license to point out vapid little twits given the misery ours has inflicted world wide these past LONG 8 years (lest you feel compelled to criticise me on the basis of my own nationality). Ciao, Christian Welch Former USA.

BY DECREE of THE NEW WORLD

 Sat, 12/06/2008 - 21:27 โ€” Anonymous (not verified)
BY DECREE of THE NEW WORLD ORDER: "The people shall see only what we want them to see, we must not let them think for themselves."

The internet came into being

 Sat, 12/06/2008 - 22:02 โ€” Anonymous (not verified)
The internet came into being as an open, free medium where information is exchanged. To Berlusconi: Keep your hands off!

Bruce, you are right, right,

 Sat, 12/06/2008 - 22:29 โ€” Anonymous (not verified)
Bruce, you are right, right, right. Is it going to reach a point where if information is criminalised, only criminals will have information????

Berlusconi, how did this

 Sat, 12/06/2008 - 22:31 โ€” Anonymous (not verified)
Berlusconi, how did this fool get back into office? I guess just like W, for the second time. Hasn't the world had enough fools, crooks, and lairs?

Those who would stifle free

 Sat, 12/06/2008 - 22:42 โ€” Rodrian Roadeye (not verified)
Those who would stifle free speech are enemies of democracy...ahem...except China, Saudi Arabia, Australia, the UK, and now...maybe Italy.

No doubt "anti-fascist"

 Sun, 12/07/2008 - 00:27 โ€” Mike in NYC (not verified)
No doubt "anti-fascist" leftists who think that there's a distinction between "hate" speech and free speech will be giving incoming USAG Holder a hearty hurrah when he unveils similar designs regarding online "hate." Worth noting in the context of the Berlusconi comments are myriad EU and member state restrictions on free speech, written and enacted by leftists and directed at rightists and nationalists.

Belusconi is obviously

 Sun, 12/07/2008 - 00:36 โ€” ann wood (not verified)
Belusconi is obviously opposed to freedom of any kind for citizens in his country, as well as anywhere in the world. We have such a narrow window of opportunity to rid ourselves of dictators, fascists, and the rich overseers of us. the slaves of the fascists. Berlusconi should no more be in charge of the country than any other venal, greedy, ignorant wanna-be. We may have to suffer his outrageous acts for a while, but I am convinced that we will rid ourselves of him, and his kind of dictators.

Corrupt governance is an old

 Sun, 12/07/2008 - 00:54 โ€” Anonymous (not verified)
Corrupt governance is an old Italian tradition, it goes back to the old Roman Empire. We don't need any part of our "new", "modern" world ruled by the likes of a corrupt criminal plutocrat like f'n Berlusconi. E! Italia! how come you guys don't throw that bastard out? We hear that his domination of the media in Italy has turned the brain of every Italian under 40 into liquid polenta.

Along with controling what

 Sun, 12/07/2008 - 03:13 โ€” Texas Aggie (not verified)
Along with controling what is on the internet, I suspect that Mr. Berlusconi wants also to control who has access to the internet and how he is going to use his media empire to make money from that control. The man is not honest by any means or by any standards, even the most disreputable.

"I've stated numerous times

 Sun, 12/07/2008 - 04:31 โ€” Anonymous (not verified)
"I've stated numerous times that Berlusconi - a born-again fascist - should not be in charge in Italy." My thoughts exactly. This is another dangerous attempt by neoliberals (i.e. regressives) to control the freedom of ideas and must be met head on by progressives everywhere.

have you noticed how much

 Sun, 12/07/2008 - 05:36 โ€” emccready (not verified)
have you noticed how much better Berlusconi looks up-side-down? just flip the picture... get the picture???

This is not an isolated

 Sun, 12/07/2008 - 11:09 โ€” Anonymous (not verified)
This is not an isolated incident. The Australian government is in the process of "regulating" the internet right now!

We had best rise up against

 Sun, 12/07/2008 - 13:19 โ€” Number Nine (not verified)
We had best rise up against all of this. This net is the best tool Mankind has ever had to unite us. Thye are cutting their own and our throats if they get their way.

I hope his hair implants

 Tue, 12/09/2008 - 14:55 โ€” Stefan Albrecht (not verified)
I hope his hair implants will fall out long before the internet is regulated!

Berlusconi got re-elected

 Tue, 12/09/2008 - 19:25 โ€” Anonymous (not verified)
Berlusconi got re-elected because he has majority control of Italian media. Italian press has always been censored one way or another, but not like it is under Berlusconi. This "Mussolini" must be controlled and held back in every way we can think of. The Bush administration has emboldened right-wing fascists all over the world. Let us hope a new day is a comin'.

Prime Minister Silvio

 Wed, 03/18/2009 - 04:50 โ€” Gabriel F. (not verified)
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi would be very influential because of his association in the media industry. Owning a huge network company is a great deal for him to keep his image like a saint. However, now that Italy has been hit bad by the current recession and economic crisis that he might as well take one step backward be realistic about what is happening truly in Italy. And regulating the internet access should not be the main issue. La Recessione as what Italians may call it, he promised to do something about it by re-stimulating the spending and jobs. He even proposed the building of a bridge that will connect Sicily to the mainland of Italy. 2 miles long, 6 lanes wide, it would be the largest suspension bridge in the world, connecting Italy and its closest Mediterranean neighbor.