Scandal on Italian Facebook: Fan groups magically switched in support for Silvio Berlusconi ones!

[DAVIDE]

article quickly translated from La Repubblica newspaper

Protests and denounces on social network. Immediately many groups changed name and finalities as the one of the Aquila earthquake, minor No Berlusconi day and Made in Italy fashion fan groups.

Facebook, the thriller of pro-Berlusconi fan groups. Born in a night switching other pages
Hundred thousands of people discovere to be supporters of things they werent acknoledged of. Massive protests of users against FB administration.


ROMA - It's controversy on Facebook for the pro-Berlusconi groups. Hundred thousand users in few hours found they were subscribed, without their knowledge, in pages which manifested solidarity and affection to Silvio Berlusconi. Groups that until yesterday had different names and finalities.
It's the case of "Solidarity to Silvio Berlusconi": two million people that, on the social network, originary agreeded in a campaing for the earthquake in Abruzzo and, in few hours, they found to be "subscribed" to a completely different page. Or the case of "Support Silvio Berlusconi against the fans of Massimo Tartaglia", 400,000 fans which originally were fans of Made in Italy fashion, now unware supporters of the Italian PM. Other example comes from the group "No payment for Facebook", switched into a solidarity page for the Italian PM.
And the people of Facebook yells at the conspiracy and menaces with words to denounce the social network: "i've been cheated, i'll go to the Police", "the admins of this social network has to be ashemed". To give life then to massive revenges against Facebook: a mass leaving from the groups at the rhythm of thousands per hour, many of them deleting even their personal profiles.
Everything started in the first hours of morning. Until midnight of yesterday,
infact, typing the word "Berlusconi" in the FB search engine, the most numerous group of users was the one of "No-B Day" with 376,000 fans. This morning at the 8, the record was owned by "Support Silvio Berlusconi against Massimo Tartaglia" with 380,000 fans. Too much weird subscriptions for a single night. And the arcane is quickly unearthed by users: "i never registered myself in this group, someone changed the title". And again; "i denounce you, this is not the right way to show solidarity towards Berlusconi in this moment".
A simple change of name. Technically it's an operation that, in Facebook, in few months became very easy. For the administrators, just a simple click can change the name of a group. And going to see the shared informations of the admin of "Support Silvio Berlusconi against Massimo Tartaglia", you can discover that the account that forged the group - kingbid.it - is property of an online auction website. That, with many probability captures "possible users" throught sensible public-opinion theme-groups around Facebook, switching those groups into support ones for Silvio Berlusconi. And all-this is creating many doubts and questions between users, the default picture used by pro-Berlusconi group: an Azione Giovani wallpaper against Walter Veltroni (member of Left Party)
Macroscopic's the case of "Solidarity to Silvio Berlusconi". Two million users that until yesterday, they thought and remembered to be fans of a group dedicated to earthquake victims in Abruzzo. Around 2PM of today the page changed magically the name. And suspects and controversy started immediately: "you're a bunch of criminals and cheaters, please cancel me from this group!!!" And the suspects are going towards Silvio Berlusconi' Party: "there's someone payed by PDL to make these tricks, without informing the people". A user, Luca Adami, is astonished: "i came back from work and my friend told me Facebook inserted me into a support group of Berlusconi! I answered her it's impossible but then i checked directly through my profile.. who can be so sick to create a group with this finality?"
But the users of Facebook doesnt like this game. Many and many people after posted their last message full of anger, left the group inviting the remaining people to do the same thing: from 2 million people in few minutes the group of S. Berlusconi supporters decreased till 1,800,000, and number is still decreasing now. Users are trying to understand the situation: "who's behind this scandalous change of group name, in favour of the Italian PM? it's an illegal and criminal act who should not be repeated at all in a future".


SOURCE: http://www.repubblica.it/2009/12/sez...-facebook.html

My comment: it's something unbelievable.. i still cant believe this!.. mine and all my friend list are plenty of people now supporters of Berlusconi!

I m seriously pissed off

[danzig]

I support Berlusconi cause he is a clown and is funny and isnt leading MY country so its amusing...for my Italian brothers though I feel bad for you guys

[DAVIDE]

I support Berlusconi cause he is a clown and is funny and isnt leading MY country so its amusing...for my Italian brothers though I feel bad for you guys

I m nauseated by this country ruled by a criminal as Berlusconi. We're a shame for all the western democracies. Puah

[danzig]

I m nauseated by this country ruled by a criminal as Berlusconi. We're a shame for all the western democracies. Puah

Yep honestly as an Italian I lived in Italy instead of US Id be less embarrassed by Bush then I would of Berlusconi...that is a pretty staggering thing to me. I just dont get him how he just doesnt seem to go away despite being soooo painfully corrupt. It just boggles my mind, you get rid of him and he ends up coming back. I swear even death wont stop him! Zombie Berlusconi leading Italy in year 2271.

[DAVIDE]

Yep honestly as an Italian I lived in Italy instead of US Id be less embarrassed by Bush then I would of Berlusconi...that is a pretty staggering thing to me. I just dont get him how he just doesnt seem to go away despite being soooo painfully corrupt. It just boggles my mind, you get rid of him and he ends up coming back. I swear even death wont stop him! Zombie Berlusconi leading Italy in year 2271.

The problem is not only Berlusconi but Lega Nord too. They already passed racial laws against Roma ethnic groups, now it seem they will do it even for Muslims. It's all hate, racism and xenophobia here.. i m worried. Seriously worried by the situation. Pure fascism. Or well... neo-fascism because has few in common with the old one.

Question: Is it legal if i invoke here a nuclear holocaust for Italy? 4/500 megatons could be sufficent to do the dirty job (ohh dont denounce TWC for this eh!)

Wow, internet is obviously serious business in Italy. Last time I checked, Facebook groups aren't legally binding or anything so who cares? Changing the group names is, at worst, petty and childish. Hardly a real scandal.

In few words i explain you the Italian internet situation (considering i attend the official Italian anti digital divide forum):

- 40% of Italian houses are not covered at all with dsl connection. (mine included). They still surf with 56k
- 60% of people which has dsl, are surfing with scandalous bandwight speed.
- Italy has the highest prices in Europe for Dsl connections
- Telecom Italia has to total monopoly not only of normal telephones but even of internet. All the phone line cables are property of Telecom Italia. Few internet companies, like Tiscali, not linked to Telecom, has to pay a rent tax to Telecom Italia, because they are using their lines.
- the Direction of Telecom Italia, gains the highest pays in Europe. Something like 6 billion euro per year..

[danzig]

The problem is not only Berlusconi but Lega Nord too. They already passed racial laws against Roma ethnic groups, now it seem they will do it even for Muslims. It's all hate, racism and xenophobia here.. i m worried. Seriously worried by the situation. Pure fascism. Or well... neo-fascism because has few in common with the old one.

Question: Is it legal if i invoke here a nuclear holocaust for Italy? 4/500 megatons could be sufficent to do the dirty job

Just make sure Monica Bellucci and Cristina Scabbia are out of country first k? Fine Italian art must survive But yeah the country is just a mess, its sad, history hasnt been kind to Italy for past 75+ years.

[KingOfTheIsles]

Wow, internet is obviously serious business in Italy. Last time I checked, Facebook groups aren't legally binding or anything so who cares? Changing the group names is, at worst, petty and childish. Hardly a real scandal.

[Treize]

The group leaders did this?

[DAVIDE]

The group leaders did this?

No. Because hundreds of different kind of FB groups has been switched in just one direction and it's not the first time Ita Gov made this.. but never in this massive way (millions of users cheated we are talking about actually).


--------> that became magically supporters of Silvius Aurelius Posca Philobater King of Purple Queen of the Stone age, Duke of Tigris and Euphrates Marcus Aurelius Octavianus Magnus the Great, Emperor of Italy and Malta, Prince of Connecticut and Okinawa, Bishop of the divine Ahura Mazda

[Phier]

I hear that TWC is going to change my title to 'loves Obama' and I'm going to be sooooo like mad.

[Heinz Guderian]

I love you davide.

[DAVIDE]

i m not gay but i appreciate man

[DAVIDE]

2,411,027 Italians cheated by Berlusconi. And for sure Facebook is plenty of pages like the ones listed

[Phier]

2,411,027 Italians cheated by Berlusconi. And for sure Facebook is plenty of pages like the ones listed

Tell me, why does this matter?

[DAVIDE]

It matters because if they can fake internet, they can fake even the primary elections. And with Berlusconi i'll not be surprised by this.

[KingOfTheIsles]

This is true. Who's to say they won't just open up the ballot box, scribble out the name of the candidate on the voting form and replace it with Berlusconi's? The precedent has been set, they've sneakily changed things once, they could change it again.

[DAVIDE]

This is true. Who's to say they won't just open up the ballot box, scribble out the name of the candidate on the voting form and replace it with Berlusconi's? The precedent has been set, they've sneakily changed things once, they could change it again.

I remember the last time Left Party won the primary elections with Prodi. They won like with the 50.8% of votes against Berlusconi and has been discovered then that the votes from Italians abroad (US, South America and Australia) hasnt been counted at all! IF this happened with the left, can happen even with the right wing. Im not a fan of Berlusconi neither a Leftist. I just say something is not clear in Italy. Even in the past.

[Phier]

If I wanted to do something like this to help MY political ideology, I'd do the same thing. I'd switch people to PRO-Obama groups to keep them pissed off at him.

[antares24]

My comment: it's something unbelievable.. i still cant believe this!.. mine and all my friend list are plenty of people now supporters of Berlusconi!

I m seriously pissed off

ahahaha davide we finally discovered you, in reality you're a supporter of berlusconi! Facebook prove it!

Yep honestly as an Italian I lived in Italy instead of US Id be less embarrassed by Bush then I would of Berlusconi...that is a pretty staggering thing to me. I just dont get him how he just doesnt seem to go away despite being soooo painfully corrupt. It just boggles my mind, you get rid of him and he ends up coming back. I swear even death wont stop him! Zombie Berlusconi leading Italy in year 2271.

err are you really comparing a president that took you in crazy wars that costed trillions and left thousands of your citizen and tens of thousands of foreigners dead and that ruined your reputation hugely to Berlusconi?

Uff, i hate to write about Berlusconi on TWC because most people are horribly uninformed about him abroad, since the foreign press only report about his gaffes. The reason he keep being voted is that alongside curing his interests he manages to also rule Italy better than the disaster that is the opposition. Basically, to make a US comparison, if the alternative was a Palin, wouldn't you vote for anyone, thinking he's the lesser evil? Oh and by the way i voted for the opposition at the last election (and was later disgusted by them as they autoimploded, meh).

Wow, internet is obviously serious business in Italy. Last time I checked, Facebook groups aren't legally binding or anything so who cares? Changing the group names is, at worst, petty and childish. Hardly a real scandal.

meh no one cares about these facebook groups, every idiot can join them and most people just do it for fun. Don't know who take them seriously.

[DAVIDE]

ahahaha davide we finally discovered you, in reality you're a supporter of berlusconi! Facebook prove it!

The fact i eat pepperoni directly with my feet doenst prove i m a champion of Victorian-style good manners

The reason he keep being voted is that alongside curing his interests he manages to also rule Italy better than the disaster that is the opposition.

whoooooooosah... whoooooosah... whooooosah [forgive me i m trying to be quiet]

well.... tell me what good things Berlusconi did for Italy and i can dismantle them here in a row

meh no one cares about these facebook groups, every idiot can join them and most people just do it for fun. Don't know who take them seriously.

whoooosah.... whooosah....whoosah...whosah...whoooosah


well, i dont care if a bunch of lamebrains are usual to join FB groups, the criminal part's that Facebook Pff Italia switched and cheated millions of people! I am not a fan of anything related to public activities or politicians on Fb BUT... and i said BUT.. my friends were it and, considering i m on their friends list, i've been cheated too as happens in the famous italian "Chains of St Anthony"