Italian court overturns Google convictions

(AP) An Italian appeals court has overturned the convictions of three Google executives who had been charged for a video on a Google site that showed a disabled teen being bullied.

Google called Friday's ruling a total victory.

A lower court in 2010 held the executives criminally responsible for the posting of the video.

The verdict raised concerns that Internet platforms could be forced to police their content and put European privacy concerns in contrast with the freewheeling nature of the Internet.

Google said it removed the video in question within two hours of being notified by authorities.

The appellate ruling throws out the convictions against Google's global privacy counsel Peter Fleischer, its senior vice president and chief legal officer David Drummond and retired chief financial officer George Reyes.