REWIRE LOGIC. RESHAPE SYSTEMS. REWRITE REALITY.
The Ghost of 1985
Case Study
A historical case study on how Malta's 1985 computer ban mirrors the 2026 EU AI Act. Featuring the "Smoking Gun" import license.
THE STORY
Why banning technology to "save jobs" never works. A warning for the AI Era.
In 1985, obtaining a computer in Malta wasn't just expensive—it was a bureaucratic nightmare. I recently uncovered this "Smoking Gun": a government Import License for a Commodore 64.
Look closely at the handwritten condition: "Provided that the computing equipment is used exclusively for non-commercial purposes."
The State was so afraid of automation replacing workers that they effectively criminalized productivity. They allowed the hardware but banned the utility.
THE COST
The 70% Innovation Tax
Fear didn't just manifest in laws; it manifested in cost. This invoice shows the price of importing that same Commodore 64.
Value: Lm 370. Duty Paid: Lm 252.
That is a nearly 70% tax on the future. While the rest of the world was digitizing, Malta was putting up a customs barrier. We didn't save jobs; we just made our own businesses slower than their competitors.
THE IRONY
The 9-Year Latency Gap
History has a sense of irony. The architect of the ban, who feared computers would cause mass unemployment, was photographed just 9 years later using a Personal Computer to write his memoirs.
The technology arrived anyway. The ban didn't stop the future; it only ensured that Malta arrived late.
Reproduced from the Malta Independent 8 December 2013