CRACKDOWN ON ITALIAN COMPUTER COMMUNICATIONS ACTIVISTS
State power throughout Europe readily embraces the new communications technology but tends to show mistrust against ordinary citizens seeking to use it themselves. In Germany the Interior Ministry is considering measures for more strict control of electronic mail communications (see FECL No.20, p.4). More recently, in Italy, the Finance police cracked down on system operators.
On 3 June, the Taranto Finance Police visited the Taras Communications bulletin board system (BBS), the main national Peacelink node and data-bank [A BBS is a computer system that allows messages to be posted for anybody who logs onto the system via the public telephone system with a computer and a modem. Nodes are local access points for a BBS, i.e. ways of logging on by dialling a local rather than a long distance telephone number].
Giovanni Pugliese and his wife were charged for the possession of "illegally copied software and electronic equipment suitable to falsification." Acting after a warrant issued by the Prosecutor of Taranto, the police searched the apartment of Giovanni Pugliese and his wife for more than 5 hours (from 5 pm to 10.30 pm). Finance officials sealed off the PC on which the BBS run and seized 174 floppy disks - leaving behind the monitor and the only available modem. Because the Taranto node hosts most of the network archives and all the email (electronic mail) traffic, the entire national Peacelink net was down after the police raid.
Peacelink is an independent network completely dedicated to peace, human rights and ecology issues. The network is well-known even outside Italy and recently hosted a national conference on peace-related matters, becoming also an important communication link for people in the former Yugoslavia and the outside world.
Peacelink is operating more than 30 nodes throughout Italy and several Fidonet gateways [Fidonet is a multinational amateur network of bulletin boards, which allows messages to be transmitted globally from BBS to BBS]. Currently a project is underway to connect directly to a number of networks belonging to the Association for Progressive Communications (APC). APC was founded in the USA and is a world-wide electronic communications network sponsored mainly by NGOs in the fields of human rights, civil liberties, peace and environment.
"Taras Communications BBS has never had anything to do with software piracy and is well known for its activities related to humanitarian, peace, social issues," Giovanni Pugliese said. "Peacelink and its sister Fidonet Italia network had always pursued a very restrictive policy against any illegally copied software on their systems. Because Taras Communications BBS is the main National node of Peacelink network, its forced closure, hopefully very short, will result in a great damage for those hundreds of people - including journalists, activists, volunteers - that were widely relying upon its everyday services."
The first phase of the crackdown on email-networks in May targeted Fidonet Italia network in several cities in the northern and central regions of the country. While a still unknown number of BBSes (probably from 30 to 60) were searched and dozens were closed down, an official press-release of the Finance Police in Torino claimed a seizure "for a value of more than 4 billion of Italian lire (about US $2,5 million), including 17 personal computers; 13,690 floppy disks of illegally copied software", dozens of modems and electronic devices. 14 people were charged with "conspiracy with unknown for the crime of software piracy" - but no arrests were made.
The new raid hit the online community at the exact moment when system operators, users, media and citizens were waiting for a relaxing and clarifier signal from investigators, including the first decisions about the seized hardware.
Right now, activists are coordinating a series of quick answers, including the foundation of a national association dedicated to the protection of civil rights for Electronic Citizens.
Bernardo Parrella
This article has been adapted from an account in volume 6-49 of the Computer Underground Digest. The author may be contacted by email as: berny@well.sf.ca.us or b.parrell@agora.stm.it