Journalists strike against Berlusconi wiretapping bill

ITALY was hit by a news blackout yesterday as journalists went on strike against a bill curbing the use of wiretapping proposed by the government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

The government says the wiretap law is needed to protect the privacy of individuals from arbitrary investigation, but critics say it will hamper both the fight against organised crime and press reporting on corruption.

The bill, due to be voted on in parliament on July 29, would tighten conditions under which magistrates can order a wiretap and ban newspapers from using transcripts until preliminary investigations are complete, something which can take years.