An Italian news publisher is urging an investigation into Google’s AI profile, asserting that the search engine’s AI-generated summary feature is a “traffic killer” that jeopardizes its survival. FIEG, the federation representing Italian newspapers, has formally lodged a complaint with Agcom, Italy’s communications watchdog.
Similar grievances have emerged in other EU countries. Coordinated by the European Newspaper Association, the initiative aims to prompt the European Commission to investigate Google under the EU Digital Services Act. One of the primary concerns for European news organizations is the threat posed by AI summaries, which condense search results into text blocks at the top of results pages, offering information without requiring users to click through to the original source.
FIEG expressed particular anxiety regarding newer AI models that gather information from various sources and present it as a chatbot. The federation argues that Google’s services “violate fundamental provisions of the Digital Services Act and negatively impact Italian users, consumers, and businesses.”
“Google is becoming a traffic killer,” FIEG stated, highlighting that these products not only compete directly with content from publishers but also “reduce visibility, discoverability, and ultimately advertising revenue.”
“This, along with the risks associated with a lack of transparency and the spread of disinformation in democratic discussions, poses serious challenges to the financial sustainability and diversity of the media,” the statement continued.
A study released in July by the UK-based analytics firm Authoritas indicated that Google’s AI Overviews, introduced last year, decreased click-through rates by as much as 80%. This study was submitted as part of a legal complaint to the UK competition regulator about the impact of Google AI Overview, which also revealed that links to YouTube—owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet—were more prominently displayed than in traditional search results.
A second study from the US think tank Pew Research Center showed a significant decline in referral traffic from Google AI Overview, with users only clicking on a link under AI Overview once in every 100 attempts. Google responded by claiming the study was based on inaccurate and flawed methodology.
Google AI Overview made its debut in Italy in March. In September, Italy became the first EU country to enact comprehensive legislation regulating artificial intelligence, including restrictions on access for children and potential prison sentences for harmful uses, such as generating deepfakes. Giorgia Meloni’s government asserted that the legislation aligns with the EU’s groundbreaking AI law and represents a decisive action that will shape the use of AI in Italy.
WOne of Tim’s eighth graders inquired about his “favorite Italian brain rot animal,” leading to some confusion. “My hearing isn’t the best, so I probably had to ask her to repeat it four or five times,” he reflects.
After instructing the students to continue their work, he opened his laptop and turned to Google.
He learned that “Italian Brain Corruption” involves a series of absurd, AI-generated animal characters with ridiculous Italian names (like Bombomini Gusini and Trippi Troppi), often showcased in TikTok videos with rapid, nonsensical Italian narration.
Essentially, it’s a meme popular among the emerging Generation Alpha (born 2010-2025) and the younger Gen Z (mostly born 1997-2012). For older individuals—whether they are heavily engaged online or consider themselves meme enthusiasts—it might seem perplexing, as Tim discovered while browsing.
As he shared his findings, he appeared horrified. “This one is Chimpanzee Banana: it’s a hybrid of a chimpanzee and a banana. Bombardiro Crocodilo is a crocodile that resembles a bomber plane. There are also characters that are just cappuccinos with legs…”
Ballerina Cappuccina. Photo: tiktok/@aironic.fun
That’s right, Ballerina Cappuccina: female ballet dancers are fused with coffee cups and often depicted in a relationship with Cappuccino Assassin (you can understand that).
“There’s a backstory to all these characters—lore,” Tim adds, pondering. “Some are even at war with each other, and there are songs about them.”
The kids in his class are intensely fascinated by it, unlike any trend Tim has seen before. “Once one person mentions it, the whole class starts buzzing. They’re obsessed with this Italian brain corruption.”
If you’re reading this and finding your own mind bewildered, it’s understandable. If you were born in a year that starts with a “1,” “Italian brain corruption” might not resonate with you.
However, its widespread popularity among the younger crowd is worth trying to understand, at least as a reflection of the evolution of online culture.
Tralala Rotralala. Photo: Tiktok
The first character to gain traction was Shark Sport Nike sneakers (three per fin); Torara Rotorarara. Shortly after, the voice of a male character first appeared, marking the start of Italian expressions on TikTok in early January.
New characters quickly proliferated on TikTok. Don Caldwell, Editor-in-Chief of Know Your Meme, identified Brr Brr Patapim as an example, describing it as a “material monkey that is also a tree.”
Tung Tung Tung Sahur. Photo: Tiktok/@noxaasht
Notably, there’s also brain rot in Indonesia. Tung Tung Tung Sahur (“This features a stick figure on a bat, telling people to wake up for food during Ramadan”) and Boneca Ambalabu (“A frog with a tire and human legs”) are examples.
Both are accompanied by AI-generated voices that, much like their Italian counterparts, aim to confuse rather than clarify.
“Audio is just as crucial, if not more so than visuals,” Caldwell explains. “They really amp it up, like Tra-la-.lero! tra-la-laLA!—that quintessential Italian sound.”
Is this offensive to Italians? “It seems like Italians are in on the joke,” Caldwell suggests. “I don’t think it is.”
The attraction of Italian (and Indonesian) brain corruption isn’t about being derogatory or harmful—it’s simply absurd.
Caldwell, who has been engaged with memes for 15 years, admits he doesn’t track every fleeting online trend. “But I genuinely enjoy this,” he remarks. “In my view, it’s the better side of memes.”
The simplicity and speed of creating these videos using tools like ChatGPT have contributed to the meme’s popularity. Users can prompt their AI to visualize something like Bombardiro Crocodilo in their preferred settings. “No prior video editing skills are necessary, nor do you have to use your own voice,” Caldwell notes.
For adults apprehensive of AI advancements, the Italian brain corruption can feel like a harmless indulgence. “It’s a non-threatening application of AI that doesn’t induce existential dread.”
Naturally, young people don’t view it in such a serious light. They spend more time online from an earlier age, significantly influencing digital culture. “You’ve got a super online kid today,” Caldwell remarks. “They grew up around iPads and TikTok, creating content and dictating the biggest cultural trends of the moment.”
Before Italian brain rot, there was the Skibidi Toilet meme, which spread virally from YouTube in 2023, captivating the younger generation of Gen Z, with millions of views.
Tim recalls discussing it in class: “The kids adore it. The term ‘Skibidi’ is now embedded in Gen Z and Gen Alpha vernacular.”
However, its meaning isn’t straightforward and is steeped in ironic ambiguity. “It can signify something good, something bad, or something bizarre… When they refer to it as ‘Skibidi,’ it’s a positive thing, and they’re laughing at it simultaneously.”
Both Skibidi Toilets and Italian brain corruption resist clear definitions, stimulating youthful imaginations with surreal imagery and crude humor while leaving adults scratching their heads with their more subdued humor.
Ebies.
“AI Art” isn’t just a shortcut for older users primarily active on Facebook, Caldwell states. Ebies example (please check). It increasingly cultivates its own lexicon, customs, and meanings that often elude many adults.
It’s intriguing to hear people declare that past memes were superior. Examine the originality of templates such as distracted boyfriends and layered visual jokes demonstrating endless possibilities for meaning-making. However, Caldwell—a millennial himself—suggests that Italian brain corruption represents another evolution in human creativity. “AI produces images, and text-to-speech gives voice, but the humor originates from the real person behind the screen.”
Tim is skeptical, noting that when he sets creative writing tasks for his class, many leap straight into their favorite Italian brain-rotting creatures. “I worry that the AI generation lacks moments for spontaneous imagination, as AI does so much for them. I tell them, ‘This must be entirely our creation. I don’t want chimpanzees bananini.'”
Nevertheless, he has started incorporating the students’ enthusiasm for Italian brain corruption into his lesson plans. In a multiple-choice quiz, one of the options is Tung Tung Tung Sahur.
He now confidently addresses his eighth graders. “My favorite is Blueberrinni Octopussini,” he shares. “It’s an octopus blended with blueberries.”
The Italian Ministry of Interior has instructed police across the country to step up security at Tesla dealerships following a fire in Rome that destroyed 17 electric vehicles manufactured by Elon Musk’s company.
The Digos, an anti-terrorism force within the Italian state police, is investigating whether anarchists were behind the fire at a Tesla dealership in Torre Angela, a suburb of Rome.
Firefighters spent hours extinguishing the flames early Monday. Drone footage showed a line of charred vehicles in the dealership’s parking lot. Musk referred to the incident as “terrorism” on his social media platforms.
Italy is home to 13 Tesla dealerships managed by the parent company, with most located in cities like Rome, Florence, and Milan.
A source within the interior ministry indicated that they are alerting authorities to the possibility of anti-Tesla protests amidst a global trend of vandalism in response to Musk’s political involvement in the US. Surveillance at dealerships will be increased as needed.
Since Donald Trump’s presidency began, Musk has reduced government employees as part of his “government efficiency” initiative, leading to the establishment of the “Tesla Takedown” boycott movement that started in the US and spread to Europe.
While most protests have been peaceful so far, Tesla dealerships and vehicles are increasingly becoming targets of vandalism. In Germany, seven vehicles were vandalized at dealerships in Ottersburg, and in Sweden, two Tesla stores—one in Stockholm and another in Malmö—were destroyed with orange paint.
Musk has fostered ties with far-right leaders in Europe, such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who praised him as “a great man.” Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right league in Italy, expressed solidarity with Musk following the incident in Rome.
“There is unwarranted animosity towards Tesla,” Salvini stated.
According to Italian newspapers, it is the world’s first fully produced version created by artificial intelligence.
Il Foglio, a conservative liberal newspaper, is conducting a month-long experiment to showcase the impact of AI technology on our work and time, as stated by Claudio Cerasa, the newspaper’s editor.
The four-page IL Foglio AI is included in the Slim Broadsheet edition of the newspaper and can be found on newsstands. Online starting Tuesday.
Cerasa mentioned that Il Foglio AI will be the world’s first daily newspaper fully created using artificial intelligence, covering everything from writing, headlines, quotes, summaries, and even sarcasm. Journalists will have a limited role in questioning and reading the responses generated by the AI tool.
This experiment coincides with global news organizations exploring the use of AI. The Guardian recently reported that BBC News will utilize AI for more personalized content delivery.
The debut edition of Il Foglio AI features stories on US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with various other topics.
Cerasa emphasized that Il Foglio Ai represents traditional newspapers but also serves as a testing ground for understanding the impact of AI on the creation of daily newspapers.
“Do not consider Il Foglio as an artificial intelligence newspaper,” Serasa stated.
An Italian vocal critic has been warned by WhatsApp about targeting military-grade spyware last week, raising concerns about potential use by a strong European government. A Libyan activist in Sweden, proposed Sweden, was also warned.
WhatsApp discovered that Husam El Gomati’s mobile phone, along with the phones of 89 other activists, journalists, and civil society members, were compromised in late December.
The messaging app, owned by Meta in California, stated that El Gomati and others may have been “compromised” by spyware created by Paragon Solutions, an Israeli-based company recently acquired by a US private equity firm.
Paragon declined to comment, but sources close to the company revealed that they had around 35 government customers, described as democratic governments.
Regarding El Gomati, Facebook shared a document from Libya linking him to a network involving Tripoli, Zawia, and the Italian Intelligence leader, connected to an illegal migration route and detention center, which was promptly discovered.
Criticism has been voiced for a long time about Italy supporting Libya’s coastal guards and militias to prevent people from crossing the Mediterranean, causing chaos among some activists.
El Gomati expressed concerns about protecting Libya’s confidential sources of information, highlighting the implications of Paragon’s spyware, called Graphite, which can intercept encrypted messages on apps like Signal and WhatsApp.
He emphasized the importance of safeguarding information as activists in Libya expose corruption and class control, stating that such issues can be a matter of life and death.
El Gomati mentioned the intrusive nature of spyware, particularly its ability to eavesdrop on conversations and access personal photos, raising significant privacy concerns.
Paragon, like other military-grade spyware manufacturers, was founded by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, primarily selling spyware to government clients for targeting purposes. They reportedly secured a contract with the US Immigration Agency under the Biden administration, subject to review due to concerns about compliance with new regulations on spyware use.
El Gomati contacted The Guardian following a story about Italian investigative journalist Francesco Cancelleri, the Editor-in-Chief of a news outlet known as Fan Page.
While it’s unclear which government may have targeted El Gomati and Cancelleri, WhatsApp notified individuals in over 20 countries, including Europe, about potential surveillance.
There are ongoing concerns regarding the release of Osama Nazim, also known as Al-Ramli, the former chief of Libya’s judicial police, accused of war crimes and other offenses. The International Criminal Court has questioned Libya’s handling of his release and return without consultation.
A journalist received a WhatsApp notification stating that an Italian survey journalist, known for exposing young fascists within Georgia Meloni’s far-right party, was targeted by spyware made by Israel-based Paragon Solutions.
Francescan Cerat, the editor-in-chief of Italian Survey News Outlet Fan page, was among the 90 journalists and members of civil society targeted for spyware as announced by WhatsApp.
The journalist received a notification through a messaging app on Friday afternoon, along with many others whose identities were not yet known.
WhatsApp did not disclose the exact location of the targets but mentioned they were based in over 20 countries, including Europe.
In December, WhatsApp revealed that PARAGON was targeting users and had shut down a vector used for compromising individuals. Paragon sells its spyware, known as graphite, to government agencies like other spyware makers.
PARAGON distributed its spyware to targets through group chats without an actual group chat and sent malware via PDF. The spyware was designed to infect phones without the need for the user to click on any links or attachments.
It remains unclear how Cancellato was compromised, but the editor previously published a story exposing the fascist activities of Meloni’s far-right-wing members of the Youth Wing.
Cancellato stated that his mobile device had not shown signs of compromise and he had not been informed of any ongoing investigations. He described the news as a violation.
The meloni party faced criticism after the fan page’s publication. The European Commission spokesperson denounced fascism as morally wrong.
Victor Fadorn, President of the Roman Jewish community, called for strong action against hatred and discrimination following the fan page’s reports.
Paragon Solutions declined to provide any comment on the matter.
If you have received a WhatsApp notification, please contact: Stephanie.kirchgaessner@theguardian.com
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
