Beppe Grillo's Blog

Bullying without privacy

Against bullying
(0:52)

The facts:
In 2006 an autistic boy was ill-treated in a Turin technical school by some class members. The others in the class don’t intervene and look on with indifference as though it were a normal happening. The attack is filmed and put on YouTube. It was seen 5,500 times and then removed following a notification. YouTube is owned by Google which is accused of a privacy violation. Three Google directors have been found guilty and sentenced to six months by the Milan Tribunal for not having prevented the publication of the video. The conviction happened even though the complaint by the boy’s lawyers had been withdrawn.
The considerations:
Internet allows for the publication of content on different platforms. YouTube is one of these, like Vimeo, Facebook, Flickr and many others. The responsibility for the content belongs to the one who is publishing, not to those managing the platform. If EVERY item of content had to be checked from a legal standpoint before being put online, Internet would have to close down.
If a defamatory insult is written on a wall, you cannot convict the owner of the building for having allowed it or for not having deleted it immediately. If someone uses the telephone to spread news that should be protected by privacy laws, you don’t denounce the phone company.
Without the video, the boy would still be the victim of his tormenters. The scandal came out only thanks to the visibility given on YouTube. The guilty ones are in order: the teachers and the head teacher that did not take care, the classmates that habitually hit him, the classmates that looked on without lifting a finger, those who knew and did not present a denunciation.
YouTube meant a crime became public. Has someone been punished for that crime? They have punished those who revealed a glimpse into Italian schools and pathetic bullying with parents who are absent or are complicit in the behaviour of their children. The Google directors are not only innocent, but they should receive a medal. The conviction is a warning: it’s OK to beat up disabled kids in school as long as you do it in incognito. It is, as anyone can understand, a question of privacy.

Comments

Sorry, I meant to write to Vincent Lagana (not Laguna) and I also misspelt psychology - oops!

A poor showing for an ex English teacher!

Posted by: Robert Morrison | February 26, 2010 03:22 PM

To Vincent Laguna

I can only agree with you and have outrage at what is mockingly called education in Italy.

As an ex High School English teacher I can only find one word to describe the education system in Italy - anachronistic. It must be the worst schooling system of all the G20 nations.
Outdated, underfunded and with teachers who have a poor level of qualifications in teaching.

I would like to know how a person who gets a "Diploma Magistrale" at the age of 18 is qualified to teach my child? Or how can someone who has a degree in mathemetics understand the philosophy. pyschology and methodology of teaching adolescents? These are the people teaching in Italian schools!

Posted by: Robert Morrison | February 26, 2010 03:17 PM

Hi there.
I'm fairly new to this site. I'm loving the community here, so I want to contribute to everyone this article I read that really changed my life financially. Last week I got a check for $900! Really, no joke, I thought I couldn't do it myself, but I did. And it really helped me out my family financially because i'm a stay at home mom.hopefully it works out for you too. Good luck and God bless!
If population grew but GDP and number of jobs did not grow, then that would be disastrous. When more
are unable to find work, then they would likely go for benefits. When more are unable to find work, then they might have to sell their houses in the end. Ultimately, prices would fall, and maybe more mortgagee sales may occur. Include unemployment and GDP and social impact into the prediction of house prices if you want, otherwise, no point predicting long term house prices based on just population prediction alone.

************************
johndouglas

Posted by: Banking Tips | February 26, 2010 11:35 AM

I am beginning to think that Mr. Berlusconi may be right in some of what he says about the judges! To even consider bringing a case against the Google directors was strange, and sentencing them was just pure madness. Apart from an attack on the freedom of the press, this kind of thing helps to show that the whole of Italy seems to be spiralling into a vortex of craziness! I feel like banging my head against a wall....

Posted by: Kay Cee | February 26, 2010 10:49 AM

The ultimate culprit is the Italian school system that has not implemented a cohesive logical systematic discipline plan in its schools. The public schools system should be brought to trial and not Google! At best enforcing discipline is eratic in the Italian school system. They still use the archaic system of punishing all for the acts of one. Teachers and administrators are too lazy to have a "follow up" system of reinforcement and punishment. I have two children in Italian public schools and have experienced this lack of enforcing discipline in schools. My children are now in Liceo and the sytem is the same as it was in elementary school. That is quasi inexistent. Shame on the Itaqlian schools for shutting their eyes on this very grave and important aspect of academics. The discipline system should reflect the democratic society we live in and not a feudal system!

Posted by: Vincent Lagana | February 26, 2010 10:33 AM