Italy’s Plan to Shut Down the Internet

Information posted on the Gates of Vienna pointing to Beppe Grillo's blog informs us that Ricardo Franco Levi, Prodi's right hand man in Italy and undersecretary to the President of the Council has written a draft law to close down the blogger resistance to their plans for the creation of Eurabia.

The draft law was approved by the Council of Ministers on 12 October with no resistance from any quarters. They are united in stifling free speech and preventing the flow of information to the Italian public unless it is information they want them to have.

Basically, the law says that anyone with a blog or website has to register with the ROC, a register of the Communications Authority, produce certificates, pay a tax. All this, even if they provide information that the blog owners have no intention of making any money from the site.

The law states that website and blogs would have to get a bona fide publishing company and have a journalist who is on the register of professionals as a responsible director.

Any blogs owners that did go through the hoop and survive would then be liable to prison sentences should they publish anything the state considered defamatory under articles 57 of the penal code.

When Levi was asked what would happen to Beppe Grillo's very popular blog he replied with the usual bottom protecting words.

“It’s not up to he government to establish that. It’ll be for the Communications Authority to indicate with regulations, which people and which companies will have to register. And the regulations will arrive only after the law has been discussed and approved by the Lower House.”

Bepe Grillo defiantly ends the post with the following:

If the law gets passed, it’ll be the end of the Internet in Italy.My blog won’t close. If I have to, I’ll transfer lock stock, barrel and server to a democratic State.PS. Anyone wishing to express their opinion to Ricardo Franco Levi can send an email to: levi_r@camera.it

So then there is the writing on the wall to all West European bloggers and those who still value free speech. Italy first, as a trial run to measure resistance and then the rest of us.

First they came for..................

Hat tip: Mr Smith