NPR had more detail on the situation in Italy re the proposed wiretap bill:
In the name of protecting citizens’ privacy, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is pushing a bill that would severely restrict police use of wiretaps and impose harsh jail terms on journalists who report the contents of bugged conversations. But free speech advocates are up in arms, and prosecutors say it would undermine efforts to combat organized crime and terrorism.
As fans of the TV series The Wire well know, this is an era where most criminals communicate not in person but electronically, and wiretaps are vital to gain access to the secret world of crime.
But if the Berlusconi government gets its way, Italian investigators will virtually be deprived use of electronic surveillance.
Read more on NPR.
Via Privacy Lives. Thanks to the reader who sent in this link.