Topic: Censorship of the Internet
Country: Italy
Delegate Name: Trevor Grayeb
School: Forest Hills Northern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Italy position papers GLIMUN 2010 committees
In only a few short decades, the internet has risen to become the predominant global means of communication and information transfer. As emerging technology makes more information available to more people worldwide, the inevitable issue has emerged of how much authority governments should have over what data is made accessible within their jurisdiction. Given the universal nature of the online information network, affirmation or confrontation of government censorship has become a significant topic of concern in international law.
The Italian constitution, first adopted on 22 December 1947, guarantees the inviolable right to correspondence and communication by any available means, and firmly establishes the uninfringeability of the quote, “personal domicile.” In recent years, these rights have come to include the information transmitted via the internet. In this assertion, the Italian Republic demonstrates support for the right of all people to internet access unregulated by governmental interference, as is becoming common among regimes worldwide, most notably the People’s Republic of China.
However, Italy urges restraint and moderation in the outright condemnation of censorship. The volatility of the internet as a potential source of crime and libel is apparent to all, and the right of governments to enforce their laws within the boundaries of the internet should not be hampered. Italy has not hesitated in the past to confront all manner of seditious websites, sources of child pornography, illegal distributors of music and other goods, and websites infringing upon the individual rights of Italians. In defense of the rule of law, Italy has even on occasion opposed Google in order to protect the right to privacy, and defied EU regulations in an embargo on foreign internet gambling outlets.
In order to establish a precedent in international law with regards to the right to access information, Italy urges limitations on the ability of governments to restrict the flow of data. This affirmation of liberties, however, must be made in the context of the capacity of states to enforce their laws and protect the guaranteed rights of their citizens. The fulfillment of this vital governmental role must not be hindered in the name of internet neutrality.
