Status: concluded
Period: January 2010 – January 2012
Funding: About 15,000 € in 2012
Funding organization: Regione Piemonte
Person(s) in charge: Federico Morando (as Director of Policy); Nicola Bottero (as legal domain expert).
Executive summary
Supporting the Piedmont Region with respect to the implementation of the regional law (and bylaws) about free and open access to public Wi-Fi, which is arguably the first Italian public act acknowledging the possibility to freely and anonymously connect to the Internet.
Background
During the academic year 2011/2012, the Nexa Center published the final version of the paper To be or not to be (anonymous)? Riflessioni in tema di libertà e controllo (i.e. Considerations on freedom and control) by Silvia Bisi, Nexa Research fellow in 2010. As part of the policy support activity of the Center, Nexa fellow Nicola Bottero also wrote a legal opinion in the form of a “Document summarizing the analysis of norms and regulations concerning the identification of Internet users”. The opinion was focused on the implications of Regional Law n. 5 of April 22, 2011, of the Region of Piedmont (the so-called “Free WiFi Law”).
Objectives
During the academic year 2012/2013, the Nexa Center aimed at using the aforementioned legal opinion within the implementation process of the Free WiFi Law.
Results
In 2012 the Nexa Center gave an important contribution to the drafting of a by-law explicitly providing for free and open access to the WiFi Internet connections made available by Regione Piemonte in its premises and their surroundings (see the regional regulation of May 29, 2012, n. 2/R).
In cooperation, amongst others, with the Top-IX consortium, the Nexa Center contributed to the drafting of a second regional bylaw, updating the previous one and also providing economic support to bar, pubs and other public places offering free and open WiFi connectivity as well as to municipalities or group of municipalities offering free and open WiFi to citizens (see the regional regulation of December 17, 2012, n. 13/R).
View past results here.
Related Publications
2011
Identificabilità delle persone sulla rete Internet Working paper
2011.