Criminal Complaint Filed Against Facebook After Girl's Death 559
An anonymous reader writes "A prosecutor has opened an investigation into how Facebook allowed the publication of insults and bullying posts aimed at 14-year-old Carolina Picchio, who took her own life after a gang of boys circulated a video on Facebook of her appearing drunk and disheveled in a bathroom at a party. The Italian Parents Association has filed a criminal complaint against Facebook for allegedly having a role in the instigation of Carolina's suicide. 'This is the first time a parents' group has filed such a complaint against Facebook in Europe,' said Antonio Affinita, the director. 'Italian law forbids minors under 18 signing contracts, yet Facebook is effectively entering into a contract with minors regarding their privacy, without their parents knowing.''
Re:facebook is an american company (Score:5, Informative)
Facebook is an american company freedom of speech, even speech we dont like is legal i feel bad for the girl being bullied but i dont blame anyone for their death who kills themselves except for them.
not ALL speech is legal in the US. take the "yelling fire in a crowded theatre" example. or cases of defamation.
in some US jurisdictions, there are laws criminalizing severe verbal harassment and there are actionable torts for intentional and/or negligent infliction of emotional distress.
too many folks in the US misunderstand exactly what the First Amendment entails.
in addition, there are arguments for why Facebook should be subject to Italy's laws. if they benefit from any way by doing business in Italy with Italians, those persons would at least have an argument that any harm Facebook does as a company against Italians should have consequences.
Re:National ID Requirement For Registration (Score:5, Informative)
If for instance someone ELSE uses your email for facebook, and you want to report that to facebook, they demand government ID and the like faxed to them to prove you're you (though how that's relevant to being the owner of the email I will never guess). Also, some korean mmos I've played required you to use your korean social security number to make an account: even locking your gender to your real gender.
It's been done/required.
Re:facebook is an american company (Score:4, Informative)
Re:facebook is an american company (Score:5, Informative)
and I still blame the parents. where were they when their 14 year old daughter was out getting drunk??? Does no one believe in taking responsibility for themselves (or their kids) anymore?
And you never did anything wrong as a teen, never did anything your parent's didn't want you to?
The problem here is that facebook was not the cause, facebook was the medium. The problem here is older than facebook, the internet and wireless communications. The problem is something society has continually refused to blame, yet alone act against for generations.
It wasn't facebook who put the video up, it was facebook that tormented the girl... it was the bullies.
So the parent's are suing facebook when they should be suing the bullies and their parents. But then again, bullying is permitted and facebook is the root of all evil according to social Norm (Norm's a bit of a wanker it seems).
Re:facebook is an american company (Score:4, Informative)
Facebook knows that minors are signing up for the service, it's a big part of their business model. So it's hypocritical of them to think that a "click to accept" faux contract should absolve them.
At least in the USA, only minors 12 or younger need parental consent. That is the age limit set by COPPA [wikipedia.org].
Re:facebook is an american company (Score:5, Informative)
From TFA:
'Francesco Saluzzo, the Novara prosecutor, said he did not rule out investigating Facebook staff. He was investigating how the video had stayed online ''for days''.
''There is a procedure for asking for the removal of messages that break rules,'' he said. ''This is an open investigation without named suspects, as yet. Facebook itself is not under investigation. But we could theoretically investigate employees of Facebook who failed to respond to these requests.''
So the investigation may include whether Facebook followed it's own procedures. Quotes from the parents' oganisation are not quotes from the legal authorities.
Re:facebook is an american company (Score:5, Informative)
How is Facebook operating in Italy?
Perhaps by having a sales office in Milan [techcrunch.com]?
Re:facebook is an american company (Score:4, Informative)
A contract, a real life contract, needs a real signature on a real piece of paper
I don't know about Italy specifically, but in most places you do not need a piece of paper with hand written signatures to have a contract. Paper contracts are used for "important" stuff because it offers a simple way for proving afterwards that there indeed was a contract and what it's terms were.
If a written contract was necessary, how would two illiterate people agree on things?