As reported by IDG News Service:

Wikipedia said it was hiding the Italian edition of the online encyclopedia to protest against a proposed new rule in the country, that will require websites to publish corrections within 48 hours of content being found objectionable, without review.

This law would “require websites to publish a correction of any content that an applicant deems detrimental to his/her image,” and the main issue being raised is the lack of review of the request being made.  There is no third-party judge or reviewer that would be required to review any submissions, as it is left entirely up to the opinion of those offended.

Essentially, the proposed Italian ruling would allow anyone who is offended by anything on the web to have the ability to dispute it and demand that revisions be made, regardless of whether or not the information is accurate. Social media and the internet are centered around free speech, and this regulation appears to be a major violation of that right.  Wikipedia has stated that their own reviewing process is more than adequare in dealing with issues of defamation, and this online protest represents their outrage about the Italy’s law.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Italy’s online restriction law, and how widespread the implications could become.