Tough Times For Social Networks

1. Italian lawmakers periodically take on the issue of Internet regulation for gaining consensus in the public opinion and come up with proposals for rules, meant to tighten control on on-line content.

Already back in 2007 a group of local MPs had expressed serious concern about a vacuum of legislation, which – so they felt – could be found with respect to improper exposure of minors to harmful web content. At the time a draft bill was therefore presented in the House, meant: (a) to prevent providers from accepting content submitted by users aged less than fourteen, and (b) to make posting of content by adolescents aged between fourteen and seventeen conditional to parental consent. The bill also provided for severe sanctions for non-compliance as well as for co-liability of minors' parents and of providers (who would be ask for blocks of certain websites).