Summary:
In 2009, leading Italian anti-mafia activists expressed alarm at several Facebook pages dedicated to praise Italian mafia bosses which attracted hundreds of young admirers. Spurted by the row about these Facebook groups, Italian politicians introduced a new measure to vote on which ordered Italian internet providers to block pages on the social network which are seen as justifying or encouraging criminal activity.
Allegations:
- Italian authorities investigated Facebook discussion groups devoted to the convicted Mafiosi, concerned that some members might be more than fans. At the same time, the debate spilled over from civil society to online society leading to the rise of a campaign demanding the removal of pro-Mafia pages.
- Rita Borsellino, whose brother the magistrate Paolo Borsellino was killed in 1992 by the Mafia boss Riina, thought Facebook was "damaged" by sites that glorified the Mafia.
- Italian magistrates warned that individuals who joined pro-Mafia groups could in principle be investigated on suspicion of aiding and abetting organised crime.
Defence:
- Facebook said in a statement that it was committed to battling hate speech and fake news, and was working closely with various institutions in Italy to deal with cyber bullying.
- As a response to the new law being proposed which would empower Italian service providers to remove web pages it did not like, a Facebook spokesperson said that this would be like closing an entire railway network just because of one offensive graffiti at one station