By Robert Colvile
Published: 7:57AM GMT 26 Feb 2010
On September 8 2006, a new item was added to Google Video in Italy. It showed an autistic schoolboy in Turin being abused, physically and verbally, by his classmates. On Wednesday, three executives from Google – who had never worked in Italy, or had any idea of the video’s existence before it was deleted two months later – were found guilty (in absentia) of invading the teenager’s privacy, and given six-month suspended sentences by an Italian court, after charges were brought by a local Down’s syndrome charity.
The outrage was immediate. David Drummond, the company’s chief legal officer, and one of those convicted, claimed the ruling “poses a grave danger to the continued freedom and operation of the many internet services that users around the world – including many Italians – have come to rely on”. A coalition of supporters was quickly assembled ahead of the inevitable appeal, including Index on Censorship, Reporters Without Borders, and the US government.
Why the fuss?
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