Inspired by what the Italian government refers to as "those who justify or incite criminal behavior," a bill introduced by Senator Gianpiero D?Alia may block access to Facebook for some. Apparently, various groups on the social networking website are dedicated to Sicilian Mafia heads Bernardo Provenzano and Salvatore Riina, and it is believed that some of the members were sending coded messages to the mobsters. Facebook prides itself in user-generated content, but not of the criminal type; should the law pass, it will force any website with said content to remove pages that justify or incite criminal activities. Furthermore, Italy's Interior Ministry would be able to order ISP's to block websites, should it be proven that the criminal content exists on the websites.
For the individual bloggers, the bill would make the activity illegal and punishable by up to five years in jail, while ISP's that refuse to follow Italy's order to remove websites can be faced with extensive fines (equating to approximately $322,000 in US dollars). In order to become law, the bill must pass in the Chamber of Deputies without modifications.
Source: Electronista
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