New Legislation Proposes Hefty Fines for Use of Foreign Words in Official Communications in Italy. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni seeks to ban use of english in official communication, proposes fines up to rs 89.3 lakh.
In a recent development, the Brothers of Italy party, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has proposed a new law that seeks to penalize the use of English and other foreign words in official communications. According to a report by CNN, individuals found violating this law could face fines of up to 100,000 euros (Rs 82,46,550).
The bill, introduced by Fabio Rampelli, a member of the lower chamber of deputies, has garnered the support of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The proposed legislation aims to preserve the Italian language and cultural heritage by discouraging the use of foreign words in official communications. Details of the bill’s enforcement mechanisms and the scope of its application remain to be seen.
As the bill makes its way through the legislative process, its potential impact on various sectors, including business and education, is yet to be fully understood. Critics argue that such a law could hinder international cooperation and stifle innovation, while supporters maintain that it will protect and promote the Italian language and culture. Italian must be the primary language used in all offices, even those which communicate with non-Italian-speaking foreigners, according to the first article of the legislation.
Italian lawmakers have proposed this bill targeting the use of foreign languages, particularly English, in an effort to preserve the Italian language. The draft legislation, aimed at combating “Anglomania,” claims that the use of English words “demeans and mortifies” Italian and has been exacerbated by Brexit. “It is not just a matter of fashion, as fashions pass, but Anglomania has repercussions for society as a whole,” the draft bill states, according to CNN.
The bill, yet to be debated in Parliament, would require public administration officials to have written and oral mastery of Italian. It also seeks to ban the use of foreign acronyms and names for job positions in official documents and mandates Italian-language versions of internal policies and employment contracts for foreign companies.
Why did Italy ban ChatGPT?
ChatGPT was banned in Italy on Friday. It is the first known instance in history where a government has banned an AI tool.
As per the reports by the New York Times, Italy’s data protection authority has found OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT guilty, of stealing its users’ data. Besides this, Italian authorities have also said that ChatGPT does not have an age-verification system which prevents minors from being exposed to illegitimate material.
Following this ban, Italy has become the first country to ban ChatGPT over privacy concerns. Whereas in China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, OpenAI has intentionally decided to remain inaccessible.
Founder of ChatGPTSam Altman took it to Twitter and said ““We of course defer to the Italian government and have ceased offering ChatGPT in Italy (though we think we are following all privacy laws). Italy is one of my favorite countries and I look forward to visiting again soon!”
However, this statement has seen to make no impact on the Italian government as the Italian regulators have told OpenAI to block internet users from gaining access to ChatGPT until the company submits the additional information.
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The Italian regulators have given OpenAI 20 days to provide them with the material and possible remedies until a final verdict can be made about the future of tech in the country.