Wikipedia

Draft:Hacktivism in Italy

Italian hacktivism is the manifestation of hacktivism in Italy. The term is a portmanteau of the words hacker and activism.[1] Hacktivism also encompasses the phenomenon of social hacking, which includes all activities of digital literacy, socialization with new technologies, creation of new virtual communities, advocacy of digital rights (cyberights), promotion of critical thinking regarding new technologies, and protests against communication technologies.[2]

History

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First attempts at alternative virtual communities

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The precursors of Italian hacktivism can be found in individuals and practices that, particularly from the second post-war period of the twentieth century, laid the theoretical and practical, relational and technical, cultural and counter-cultural foundations for the subsequent emergence of the so-called "hacktivism" in Italy.[3]

The first sprouts of Italian hacktivism were born on BBS networks. The BBS network consisted of a computer dedicated to messaging that acted as a bulletin board where one could post a message visible to all users. For this to work, all computers had to be connected via a telephone line. Messages and information were circulated at night when connections cost less.[4] In 1984, Giorgio Rutigliano decided to convert the lines of his computer services shop into a BBS node, which in 1986 became the first connection to the international FidoNet network.[5] Unlike the Fidonet network, which had purely amateur purposes, other Italian BBS networks, particularly the European Counter Network (ECN) (1989) and Cybernet (1993), were fertile ground for activists who, thanks to them, could exchange messages freely, organize themselves, and create alternative virtual communities.[6]

In 1992, Peacelink was founded based on an idea by Marinelli and Marescotti with the aim of using telecommunications for peace.[7] In 1992, Giovanni Pugliese managed to make it an independent BBS network. In relation to it, ScoutNet developed from the Associazione Guide e Scouts Cattolici Italiani, whose purpose was to connect Italian and international scouts.[8]

During the same period, BBS networks linked to cyberpunk and the extra-parliamentary left emerged.[9] In 1989, the European Counter Network (ECN) was created in Italy to give life to an alternative Italian and European network.[10] Following the wave of cyberpunk, in 1991, some individuals in that community proposed and obtained approval for the creation of a message forum called Cyberpunk.ita within the FidoNet network, which was later shut down in 1992 by Fidonet itself, as the freedom of expression within it ran counter to the network’s strict policies. In 1993, the Cybernet network was created, with first two nodes being Senza Confine Bbs (created in Macerata) and Hacker Art Bbs (created in 1990 in Florence by Tommaso Tozzi). The third and fourth nodes were Decoder Bbs (created in Milan by the homonymous magazine "Decoder", in 1993) and Bits Against The Empire.[11][12] Initially, the networks listed above were based on two different conceptions of telematics. The area linked to ECN saw it as a tool for politics, while the area descending from cyberpunk saw telematics as a new way of communicating and of human action.[13] In the early 1990s, the two different conceptions merged, creating a mutual interchange of some of the forums contained within them.

A dark period for italian hackers

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In 1992, the law regarding copyright was extended to computer programs (legislative decree 518/92)[14] and cybercrimes were introduced into the Penal Code.[15] This gave rise to what is called the Italian Crackdown, which outlines police operations against Bulletin Board Systems.[16] Among the networks affected were those linked to activism. In particular, in 1994, the Public Prosecutor's Office of Taranto ordered the seizure of Taras Comunication, which was the central node of PeaceLink.[17][18] The seizures discouraged BBS administrators, including Giorgio Rutigliano, the father of FidoNet, who decided to shut down his operations.[19]

Reactions to the crackdown

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The first reaction consisted of reopening the BBS that had been shut down. Cybernet, Peacelink, and ECN gave life to SYSOP.ITA until they managed to reestablish their independent networks.[20] Furthermore, the PeaceLink Association and ALCEI were founded, which aimed to protect the telematic rights of citizens by invoking Article 21 of the Italian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression.[21] The authors of Decoder wrote an article in the Manifesto in order to inform public opinion about the Italian crackdown.[22] Raf Valvola Scelsi wrote No copyright, Nuovi diritti in 2000 in which he took a stand against the privatization of software.[23] Another organization that spoke out in favor of no copyright was Strano Network.[24] The latter, together with ECN, launched the Cyberights mailing list, in which police actions carried out against BBS were monitored.[25] On February 19 1995, Strano Network organized the conference "Diritto alla Comunicazione nello Scenario di Fine Millennio" at the Centro per l'arte contemporanea Luigi Pecci in Prato focusing on how to respond to the institutional actions that were taking place in Italy.[26]

Experiences in italian hacktivism

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Netstrike was conceived in the spring of 1995 by Tommaso Tozzi and was defined by him as a kind of "virtual sit-in" to be carried out on-line; as with real-world protests, the aim was to draw public attention to the reasons for the netstrike itself, through public statements circulated before, during and after the event. The effect of the netstrike was to slow down and, in some cases, temporarily block access to the site targeted by the netstrike. This was achivied by asking users from all over the world to connect to a site at the same time, in order to saturate the bandwidth that allowed access.[27][28] The first net strike was carried out against the French government to protest against the nuclear tests that this government was carrying out at Mururoa. The most successful netstrike was the third one, organized by Strano Network in May 1996 against the American justice system to protest in favor of Mumia Abu Jamal and Silvia Baraldini. The White House server became clogged until it completely stopped for about twelve hours.[29][28] Another netstrike that had particular success was the one carried out by Loa to protest against the eviction of self-managed social centers in Milan and caused the blockage of the Milan municipality's website for three hours.[30] The netstrike was also used by the non-governmental organization Greenpeace.[31]

Hackmeeting, Hack-it. The first one in Italy was organized in 1998 by Strano Network. Its purpose was to bring Italian hacktivists together in a physical space. Debates, performances, seminars and conferences were held there where everyone could be speakers or listeners. In this meeting, the subjectivities that laid the groundwork for the interaction between technology experimentation, art, media and politics came together. During the first Italian hackmeeting, the idea of the Manifesto per i diritti di comunicazione was born, which defended freedom of information, anti-copyright principles, the right to privacy and the socialization of new technologies. Since 1998, a hackmeeting has been held once a year.[32]

Hacklab was one of the experiences that came to life from the second Hack-it, held in 1999. These are physical places where hacktivists hold workshops, seminars, lessons, recover waste materials from old computers, and create websites, hardware and software. Notable examples include the MediaLab in Catania, Loa in Milan, Avana at Forte Prenestino, HacklabBo in Bologna and the HackLab in Florence.[33][34]

Autistici/Inventati was born in 2001. It offers services such as mailing lists, newsletters, web spaces to anyone who wants to use alternative tools that respect privacy, rather than those created by media professionals.[35]

In 2001, Indymedia Italy and hacktivists launched the Genoa Social Forum, composed of control units for video editing, a network of computers and telephones that created a 100-megabit internal connection with 2 megabits of external bandwidth. This was used to cover the protests during the demonstrations against the Genoa G8.[36]

Mastodon.bida.im was born in 2013 by the Bida collective linked to the Circolo C. Berneri and HackLabBo and constitutes an alternative social network that distinguishes itself by attempying to be managed by a non-centralized network of instances.[37]

Ippolita was founded in 2004 from a research project promoted by the hacklab Reload in Milan. The aim of the project is the publication of books that express a critical reflection on technologies that break away from the dominant narrative. Ippolita has a strong educational intent, in fact, it also deals with the creation of workshops.[38]

Peacelink is a pacifist association that originated on online networks and survived the Italian crackdown; it moved from BBS to the web, where it continues its volunteer work related to pacifism.[39]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Rossini, I.; Severi, I. (Jan–Apr 2018). "Prove tecniche di trasmissione, Mediattivismo e paranoia" [Technical transmission tests, media activism and paranoia.] (PDF). Zapruder, storie in movimento. p. 2.
  2. ↑ Tozzi, T.; Di Corinto, A. (2002). Hacktivism : la libertà nelle maglie della rete [Hacktivism: freedom in the mesh of the network] (PDF). Manifestolibri. ISBN 88-7285-249-8. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  3. ↑ Tozzi, Tommaso (2019). Le radici dell'Hacktivism in Italia : 1969-1989 : Dallo sbarco sulla luna alla caduta del muro di Berlino [The roots of Hacktivism in Italy : 1969-1989 : From the moon landing to the fall of the Berlin Wall] (PDF). Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  4. ↑ Gubitosa, C. (1999). Italian crackdown : BBS amatoriali, volontari telematici, censure e sequestri nell'Italia degli anni '90 [Italian crackdown: amateur BBS, telematics volunteers, censorship and seizures in 1990s Italy]. Apogeo. p. 14. ISBN 9788873035299. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  5. ↑ Gubitosa, C. (1999). Italian crackdown : BBS amatoriali, volontari telematici, censure e sequestri nell'Italia degli anni '90 [Italian crackdown: amateur BBS, telematics volunteers, censorship and seizures in 1990s Italy]. pp. 21–22. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  6. ↑ Di Corinto, Arturo; Tozzi, Tommaso (2002). Hacktivism : la libertà nelle maglie della rete [Hacktivism: freedom in the mesh of the network]. p. 28. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  7. ↑ "PeaceLink - Telematica per la pace" [PeaceLink - Telematics for peace]. PeaceLink (in Italian). Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  8. ↑ Gubitosa, C.; Marescotti, A.; Mercandalli, E. (1996). Telematica per la pace : cooperazione, diritti umani, ecologia _ [Telematics for peace: cooperation, human rights, ecology]. Apogeo. pp. 113–133. ISBN 9788850310517. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  9. ↑ Di Corinto, A.; Tozzi, T. (2002). Hacktivism : la libertà nelle maglie della rete [Hacktivism: freedom in the mesh of the network]. p. 158. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  10. ↑ Di Corinto, A.; Tozzi, T. (2002). Hacktivism : la libertà nelle maglie della rete [Hacktivism: freedom in the mesh of the network]. p. 158. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  11. ↑ Di Corinto, A.; Tozzi, T. (2002). Hacktivism : la libertà nelle maglie della rete [Hacktivism: freedom in the mesh of the network]. p. 145. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  12. ↑ Gubitosa, C. (1999). Italian crackdown : BBS amatoriali, volontari telematici, censure e sequestri nell'Italia degli anni '90 [Italian crackdown: amateur BBS, telematics volunteers, censorship and seizures in 1990s Italy]. p. 142. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  13. ↑ Di Corinto, A.; Tozzi, T. (2002). Hacktivism : la libertà nelle maglie della rete [Hacktivism: freedom in the mesh of the network]. Manifestolibri. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  14. ↑ "Gazzetta Ufficiale" [Official Gazette]. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  15. ↑ Gubitosa, C. (1999). Italian crackdown : BBS amatoriali, volontari telematici, censure e sequestri nell'Italia degli anni '90 [Italian crackdown: amateur BBS, telematics volunteers, censorship and seizures in 1990s Italy]. pp. 27–28. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  16. ↑ Gubitosa, C. (1999). Italian crackdown : BBS amatoriali, volontari telematici, censure e sequestri nell'Italia degli anni '90 [Italian crackdown: amateur BBS, telematics volunteers, censorship and seizures in 1990s Italy]. pp. 27–52.
  17. ↑ Marescotti, Alessandro. "PeaceLink, storia di una comunita' virtuale" [PeaceLink, history of a virtual community]. PeaceLink (in Italian). Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  18. ↑ "PeaceLink Crackdown". Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  19. ↑ Chiccarelli, S.; Monti, A. (2011). Spaghetti Hacker [Spaghetti Hacker] (1st ed.). M & A. pp. 132–133. ISBN 978-88-89479-14-8. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  20. ↑ Gubitosa, C. (1999). Italian crackdown : BBS amatoriali, volontari telematici, censure e sequestri nell'Italia degli anni '90 [Italian crackdown: amateur BBS, telematics volunteers, censorship and seizures in 1990s Italy]. pp. 58–59. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  21. ↑ "Dichiarazione di principi" [Declaration of principles]. ALCEI. 4 May 2005. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  22. ↑ "The Italian Crackdown sul Manifesto" [The Italian Crackdown on Manifesto]. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  23. ↑ Valvola Scelsi, Raf (1994). No copyright : nuovi diritti nel 2000 [No copyright: new rights in 2000]. Shake. ISBN 88-86926-11-1. OCLC 797422688. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  24. ↑ "Strano Network" [Strano Network]. STRANO NETWORK. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  25. ↑ Gubitosa, C. (1999). Italian crackdown : BBS amatoriali, volontari telematici, censure e sequestri nell'Italia degli anni '90 [Italian crackdown: amateur BBS, telematics volunteers, censorship and seizures in 1990s Italy]. pp. 62–63. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  26. ↑ "Atti del convegno DIRITTO ALLA COMUNICAZIONE NELLO SCENARIO DI FINE MILLENNIO" [Proceedings of the conference RIGHT TO COMMUNICATION IN THE END OF MILLENNIUM SCENARIO]. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  27. ↑ "Arturo Di Corinto, Tommaso Tozzi, Hacktivism. La libertà nella maglie della rete, ManifestoLibri, Roma, 2002" [Arturo Di Corinto, Tommaso Tozzi, Hacktivism. Freedom in the mesh of the network, ManifestoLibri, Rome, 2002] (in Italian). 2005-08-31. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  28. 1 2 "Netstrike (1995) - Tommaso Tozzi" [Netstrike (1995) - Tommaso Tozzi]. www.tommasotozzi.it. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  29. ↑ "Hacktivism. La libertà nelle maglie della rete" [Hacktivism. Freedom in the mesh of the network]. www.hackerart.org. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  30. ↑ "Netstrike - a new way to protest!" [Netstrike - a new way to protest!]. Archived from the original on 10 November 2000. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  31. ↑ "NetStrike.it - Greenpeace Italia" [NetStrike.it - Greenpeace Italy]. Archived from the original on 23 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  32. ↑ Di Corinto, A.; Tozzi, T. (2002). Hacktivism : la libertà nelle maglie della rete [Hacktivism: freedom in the mesh of the network]. pp. 23–25. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  33. ↑ "HackLab.it" [HackLab.it]. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  34. ↑ Di Corinto, A.; Tozzi, T. (2002). Hacktivism : la libertà nelle maglie della rete [Hacktivism: freedom in the mesh of the network]. pp. 13–14. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  35. ↑ "autistici.org - Benvenut@ su A/I" [autistici.org - Welcome to A/I]. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  36. ↑ Pasquinelli, M. (2002). Media activism : strategie e pratiche della comunicazione indipendente : mappa internazionale e manuale d'uso [Media activism: strategies and practices of independent communication: international map and user manual] (1st ed.). pp. 53–97. ISBN 9788887423877. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  37. ↑ "Mastodon Bida.im" [Mastodon Bida.im]. Mastodon hosted on mastodon.bida.im (in Italian). Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  38. ↑ Ippolita. "ATTIVITÀ" [ACTIVITIES]. Ippolita (in Italian). Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  39. ↑ "PeaceLink" [PeaceLink]. PeaceLink (in Italian). Retrieved 23 June 2021.

Bibliography

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General history of Italian hacktivism and hacking

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Cyberpunk culture

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  • Raf Valvola Scelsi (1990). Cyberpunk: Antologia di testi politici [Cyberpunk: Anthology of political texts]. Shake Edizioni. ISBN 8886926391.

Peace and pacifist telematics

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  • Gubitosa, C.; Marescotti, A.; Mercandalli, E. (1996). Telematica per la pace : cooperazione, diritti umani, ecologia [Telematics for peace : cooperation, human rights, ecology]. Apogeo. ISBN 9788850310517.

Media activism and independent communication

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  • Autistici & Inventati (2012). +Kaos. 10 anni di hacking e mediattivismo [+Kaos. 10 years of hacking and media activism]. Agenzia X. ISBN 9788895029627.
  • "Hack the system" [Hack the system]. Zapruder, Storie in movimento. Jan–Apr 2018.
  • Pasquineli, M. (2002). Media activism : strategie e pratiche della comunicazione indipendente : mappa internazionale e manuale d'uso [Media activism : strategies and practices of independent communication : international map and user manual]. DeriveApprodi. ISBN 9788887423877.

International hacktivism (Anonymous)

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  • Coleman, G. (2015). I mille volti di Anonymous. La vera storia del gruppo hacker più provocatorio al mondo [The thousand faces of Anonymous. The true story of the most provocative hacker group in the world]. Stampa Alternativa. ISBN 9788862225069.
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