Italy / piracy: a law to shut down illegal websites within 30 minutes approved by the Senate

The Italian Senate has unanimously (140 votes) approved a law to tackle the piracy of television broadcasts, especially sports broadcasts, on 12/07/2023.

This law will allow the Italian Communications Regulatory Authority (AGCOM) to shut down, within 30 minutes, a website distributing content illegally. Sanctions of up to €15,000 in fines and three years in prison may be imposed on individuals responsible for such broadcasts, and up to €5,000 for consumers.

"With this law, Italy becomes a model for Europe in the fight against a social, economic and cultural scourge. Knocking down illegal sites in 30 minutes serves to protect a significant economic share of the country, to protect jobs and to secure the data of millions of citizens. Those who browse pirated sites, in addition to committing a crime, deliver bank, health, home automation data and much more to criminal associations. This aspect is particularly underestimated. With the law approved today by the Senate, AGCOM will have additional resources and powers: it is a good development for our country," said Massimiliano Capitanio…