I'm Italian and I can tell you that things here are even worse. This is why I based my startup in London and now I'm relocating to another country.
To add something more to this piece of news: Google, with YouTube, is disturbing our televisions, owned or controlled by our prime minister Berlusconi, by competing with them and spreading news that are hidden or distorted in TV. This will not be the last attack Google faces from Italy.
News Corp. knows this very well. In the last year this government passed some laws clearly against their satellite offer, favouring the TV channels of our prime minister. Now it's the turn of Google.
Why are we taking for granted that it's always Berlusconi behind these facts? I want to remember you that everyone who has some power here is corrupted, so while it may be the case, it's not certain who made the decision here.
I don't want to defend Berlusconi here, but if we continue to blame him by default we will never see the truth.
> To add something more to this piece of news: Google, with YouTube, is disturbing our televisions, owned or controlled by our prime minister Berlusconi, by competing with them and spreading news that are hidden or distorted in TV. This will not be the last attack Google faces from Italy.
That's my take on it as well, I think these 'privacy concerns' are just a cheap way to use a disabled person to garner sympathy for the crusade against big bad google that is offering Italian consumers alternative video content that does not come from 'Papi'.
Berlusconi ought to be the one in the docket. But then he'll just pass another law that exempts him...
> I think these 'privacy concerns' are just a cheap way to use a disabled person to garner sympathy for the crusade against big bad google that is offering Italian consumers alternative video content that does not come from 'Papi'.
Exactly. The main concerns of the government right now about internet are YouTube and Facebook, because they are the main channels on which news spread.
Mediaset, the Berlusconi Company owning all his televisions also sued Google for copyright of content published on YouTube. Every television in the world is working with Google to remove this content or to profit from it. Berlusconi is the only one who attacks it to take it down.
This week there has also been a similar case on Facebook, for a stupid group on down children. The government is trying every now and then to find excuses to pass laws against internet freedom.
> Berlusconi ought to be the one in the docket. But then he'll just pass another law that exempts him...
The saddest thing about this is that it is true. He already passed 19 laws just to avoid jail, and he is about to pass another two...
I'm italian too and can easily understand why you decided not to base your business here (hope to do the same someday).
I really don't like where the current events are leading the nation, silvio is only one of the nation's problems, and if the nation doesn't change its ways, well... italy is doomed.
p.s. doomed like in "doomed to became again a place known only for its cheap and not specialized labor"
To add something more to this piece of news: Google, with YouTube, is disturbing our televisions, owned or controlled by our prime minister Berlusconi, by competing with them and spreading news that are hidden or distorted in TV. This will not be the last attack Google faces from Italy.
News Corp. knows this very well. In the last year this government passed some laws clearly against their satellite offer, favouring the TV channels of our prime minister. Now it's the turn of Google.