You couldn't make it up... or should that be 'post it up?' Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian premier, has issued a decree designed to establish government vetting of Internet content to protect minors from pornography. But if anyone needs a journey to the vet it's surely the apparently still sexually active septuagenarian, says Ian Scales.
When he's not pursuing 'the ladies' he's simulating lewd acts on hapless police officers (if you haven't seen it yet, this video is worth a look)
But wait. It turns out that underneath the laddish machismo beats the heart of a selfless public guardian. Silvio just lies awake at night worrying about all that pornography washing about on the Web. Who, he wonders, is viewing it? Who, more to the point, is posting it? Silvio can't believe that the world could allow just anyone to post material on Youtube without any permissions, without 'regulation': it is "impossible" he says.
No, if anyone is to make objectionable material available to the public it should be Silvio himself through his MediaSet empire.
So, in a classic example of why you shouldn't let media magnates run your legislative processes, Berlusconi has recently issued a 34 page decree designed to put the squeeze on Web video, including user-generated content as found on a myriad of sites such as Youtube and DailyMotion
If he succeeds all Internet content destined for download in Italy, will have some Italian-style bureaucratic hoops to jump through before posting. And if you've ever encountered Italian bureaucracy then you'll know that that's something to be very afraid of indeed.
It appears that the measures, to be 'fast-tracked' through Italy's legislature, could take effect by early next month.
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