Italian Draft Wiretapping Law Under Fire

newsblaze writes "Italy has a draft law on surveillance and eavesdropping that could jeopardize journalists and threaten freedom of expression. The UN doesn't like it and they are calling for the abolition or revision of the bill. Anyone not accredited as a professional journalist could be imprisoned for up to four years for recording a conversation without the consent of the person involved and then publicizing that information. Four years seems a bit draconian, but people should know they are being recorded. Across Italy, journalists and citizens protested against the draft law, and most journalists went on strike (only the newspaper published by the premier's brother was open for business). I couldn't discover what would trigger the maximum penalty. This is similar to a 2007 bill that was stopped — lobbyists never give up!"

Comments

in no other country in the world

[Anonymous Coward]

Poor Italians

ops !

in all places of the world is illegal to record conversation with out consent by spying other people. in US with Obama as president, as example, it looks like that is not even allowed to take photos of the oil spill.

  in all countries of the world a judge must grant permission to wiretap, and nobody is allowed to have access to the evidence that is being collected for security of the investigation itself and for privacy of other parties involved: for sure no journalists never publish that on the newspaper before the trial or even the investigations is closed.

an Italian guy !

Nice trolling there, kdawson

[lbbros]

kdawson, you reallly love trolling, don't you?

First: even "the newspaper of the brother's premier" has voiced concerns over the law - the decision not to go on strike was a move by its chief, Vittorio Feltri (who also criticized the law openly), who thought that shutting down information to prevent the shutdown of information was nonsensical.

Second: It was not the only newspaper who didn't go on strike. Others, such as "Libero", "Il Foglio", "Italia Oggi", were regularly in newsstands as well.

Third: the issue with wiretapping here it's that in the current law (the one being proposed) it's misguided - it targets journalists while the fault lies in judges and their collaborators, who like to "spread" news even before investigations are complete. This is mostly a problem for people outside investigations, that are by chance talking with the plaintiffs. Sometimes personal details (completely irrelevant to the matter) make it to the newspapers, tarnishing reputations.

Information is also checking your facts. This wasn't done.