Google privacy trial begins in Italy

The trial of Google executives 'accused of defamation and violating privacy for allowing a video to be posted online showing an autistic youth being abused' has begun in Italy.

"Google says the case violates EU rules by trying to place responsibility on providers for content uploaded by users.

The Mountain View, California, company also considers the trial a threat to freedom on the Internet because it could force providers into an impossible task - prescreening the thousands of hours of footage uploaded every day onto Web sites like the Google-owned YouTube.

Prosecutors and civil plaintiffs insist they don't want to censor the Internet, and maintain the case is about enforcing Italy's privacy rules as well as ensuring large corporations do their utmost to block inappropriate content, or quickly delete it."

Update: Well it did begin but it's been adjourned until September because an interpreter didn't appear when scheduled.