The European Union has raised concerns about Italy’s Piracy Shield, an anti-piracy system, stating it may not comply with the Digital Services Act (DSA).

In a letter sent to Foreign Minister Tajani, the European Commission praises Italy’s efforts against online piracy, particularly for live events and time-sensitive content, but points to potential issues regarding freedom of expression and information.

This follows criticism earlier this year from the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), representing tech companies such as Apple and Google, which cited concerns about the system’s rapid blocking procedures, potential for overreach (including blocking VPNs and DNS), lack of transparency, and potential conflicts of interest.

The EC’s letter echoes these concerns, stating the DSA does not provide a legal basis for measures that disregard fundamental rights. The EU emphasises the need for robust appeal processes and safeguards to prevent erroneous blocks, criticising the 24-hour unblocking timeframe for errors as insufficient. It urges Italy to improve the system to ensure sufficient safeguards and avoid negatively impacting legitimate content. They also suggest a clearer process for reporting issues to Italy’s communications authority Agcom. The letter urges Italy to incorporate these suggestions into the final regulations.

Agcom acknowledges the EU’s concerns but believes they have already been addressed in previous consultations. Agcom Commissioner Capitanio stated he sees no “weakening” of the system and that Italy remains at the forefront of combating illegal streaming. The final regulations will be submitted to the Council for approval.

The Piracy Shield is currently in a ‘work in progress’ phase, preparing for the next football season and the expansion of its blocking capabilities to include films and TV series.

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Categories: Articles, Content, Piracy

Tags: Agcom, European Union, italy, piracy