The granddaughter of Italy’s fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, Alessandra Mussolini, said she was unable to open an Instagram account because of her surname. After the press conference of the MEP Forza Italia in Strasbourg, the Meta concern, which owns the portal, allowed the politician to set up a profile.
The case of Alessandra Mussolini was covered by the Italian media on Thursday. – Since yesterday I have been trying to open an Instagram account under the name of Alessandra Mussolini. Social platforms are now essential for work. I’m blocked. They sent me an explanation that they do not accept my account as part of their policy – complained on Thursday on the sidelines of the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the granddaughter of the fascist dictator Italian Benito Mussolini.
Alessandra MussoliniPATRICK SEEGER/PAP/EPA
“There is a blockade on Alessandra Mussolini”
– I tried to open an account for Alessandra Gramsci (Gramsci – philosopher, ideologue of communism – ed.) and there was no problem. I tried Alessandra Berlinguer (former head of the Italian Communist Party – ed.) and there was no problem either. There is a blockade on Alessandra Mussolini, said MEP Forza Italia during the conference.
The American company Meta, which owns Instagram, changed its mind after the Mussolini conference in Strasbourg and opened its account. “They contacted me from Meta, apologized, explained that there had been a misunderstanding,” Alessandra Mussolini later informed.
Benito Mussolini, photo from 1938 Deutsches Bundesarchiv
Main photo source: PATRICK SEEGER/PAP/EPA