Alfonso Signorini sues Google for five million euros

Italian journalist and former television host Alfonso Signorini has filed a five-million-euro civil lawsuit against Google in the Court of Milan. The legal action centers on the platform’s alleged failure to act effectively to remove harmful content uploaded to YouTube.

The dispute stems from the web format ‘Falsissimo’, in which Fabrizio Corona made serious allegations against Signorini. Signorini’s legal team contends that Google did not act with sufficient speed or adequacy to eliminate the defamatory content, prevent its republication, or block the spread of substantially similar videos.

Court documents indicate that the situation has caused significant psychological harm to the 62-year-old, including social phobias that have reportedly led to his withdrawal from public and media life. The lawsuit also highlights the economic impact on Signorini’s career; his legal team noted that his previous television contracts included a guaranteed minimum annual income of 1.2 million euros, with 480,000 euros specifically attributed to image rights.

The first hearing is scheduled for December 20.