Anyone visiting Italy and wanting to use an internet point, or cafe, will need to take along their passport – and be prepared for a major invasion of their privacy.
Be prepared for a major invasion of their privacy!
ITALY: Anti-terrorist legislation prompted by the London bombings in July imposes a string of new obligations on the managers of businesses offering the public access to communications. As of this week, they must obtain - and, according to some interpretations, photocopy – the identity documents of anyone wishing to access the internet, send a fax or make a telephone call.
Not only that. They must also supply the police with records of the times at which customers enter and leave the premises and which computers or telephones they use.
Owners now need a licence to run an internet point or call shop, and to get one they have to provide detailed information about their business, including a floor plan of the premises.
Commercial communications centres have repeatedly cropped up in investigations into international terrorism. The first arrests in connection with the 2004 Madrid train bombings were made at a call shop in the Lavapies district of the Spanish capital, which has a large immigrant community. France is reportedly planning to introduce similar legislation.
Andrew Pitt from Liverpool, who runs a combined call shop and internet cafe in Venice said his business had already been hit by the Italian law.
"The problem is that tourists come along without their passports. Today, we have lost at least 15 customers because they didn't have any identification", Mr Pitt said.
"About 70% of our customers are American or British and they're just not used to this sort of thing. Italians don't usually complain because its normal to be asked to provide identification here."
Illegal immigrants in Italy will be deeply reluctant to provide identification, if indeed they have any. Most arrive without passports to ensure they are not repatriated.
An internet point manager in a part of Rome which has a large immigrant population told the daily Corriere della Sera that since the law came into effect about one in five of those entering the premises had refused to provide identification and left. At the city's biggest internet point, a spokesman was quoted as saying he had lost Italian customers too.
But that was because they used the facilities to visit web sites that were "let us say a bit special".
John Hooper is the Guardian's Italy correspondent
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/archives/2005/09/29/passport_to_surf.html
Not only that. They must also supply the police with records of the times at which customers enter and leave the premises and which computers or telephones they use.
Owners now need a licence to run an internet point or call shop, and to get one they have to provide detailed information about their business, including a floor plan of the premises.
Commercial communications centres have repeatedly cropped up in investigations into international terrorism. The first arrests in connection with the 2004 Madrid train bombings were made at a call shop in the Lavapies district of the Spanish capital, which has a large immigrant community. France is reportedly planning to introduce similar legislation.
Andrew Pitt from Liverpool, who runs a combined call shop and internet cafe in Venice said his business had already been hit by the Italian law.
"The problem is that tourists come along without their passports. Today, we have lost at least 15 customers because they didn't have any identification", Mr Pitt said.
"About 70% of our customers are American or British and they're just not used to this sort of thing. Italians don't usually complain because its normal to be asked to provide identification here."
Illegal immigrants in Italy will be deeply reluctant to provide identification, if indeed they have any. Most arrive without passports to ensure they are not repatriated.
An internet point manager in a part of Rome which has a large immigrant population told the daily Corriere della Sera that since the law came into effect about one in five of those entering the premises had refused to provide identification and left. At the city's biggest internet point, a spokesman was quoted as saying he had lost Italian customers too.
But that was because they used the facilities to visit web sites that were "let us say a bit special".
John Hooper is the Guardian's Italy correspondent
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/archives/2005/09/29/passport_to_surf.html 
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Its all a game, and THIS is how it is played...
30.09.2005 05:30
The descending darkness is carefully patchy as it closes in, and only by tracking all the changes occuring in all the territories around us do we feel the full extent of its power.
There is a good reason for this strategy. The purpose of each new law might be summed up in that old business practice FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt). However, the population of each nation must NOT be aware of any joined up thinking, or conspiracy, between their governments, and all the others. Thus, each country gets its own sets of Fascist dictates.
One should realise that as the game progresses, the existance of a law in one nation will be used as an excuse to introduce that law into the next under the excuse of unification, and standardisation.
In other words, a complete program of fascist, human-right-destroying laws is created. The program is carefully split into parts, and each nation gets to implement its own part. Thus, the whole basket of measures avoids scrutiny and rejection by any one populace, or any one parliament. People are told to accept SOME pain for a BIG gain. When the program of laws are in place across the different nations, each government then exposes its own people to the fact that other laws exist, and are accepted by other people like themselves.
The argument is made that if others allow these laws, so must we. This being said, each individual nation agrees to standardise its laws with the others, and the complete program of laws are introduced into each and every nation.
GAME OVER
So, dear reader, how exactly do WE win against this tactic??? Perhaps you think there exists a country in our area that WON'T play by Blair's rules??? lala land perhaps, or nevernever land???
Face it, we are royally screwed. Every bad thing you ever dreamt of in your most feverish state is about to come to pass. Welcome to hell.
twilight
I know what you mean
30.09.2005 06:44
I know what you mean. I am sending this from an Internet cafe in Rome and was asked for my passport. I showed my library ticket. rail card, credit card and store card - none of which were accepted. Finally they agreed to using my mediacl card as identification. Big brother is watching you! Berlusconi is becomiong Mussolini - I wonder what our beloved Fuhrer Mr Bliar will do next.
Regards, Paul (Edinburgh Stop the war)
Paul O'Hanlon
e-mail:
o_hanlon@hotmail.com