The "disclamer" explains that its degrees are valid because Università Popolare degli Studi di Milano is affiliated with the University of United Popular Nations (UUPN), a limited liability company[17] created by Grappeggia and his wife in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in 2012 and allegedly operating in the Ivory Coast as well.

[18] In 2011, an Italian former politician, Sen. Guido Viceconte, stated that the degrees issued by the Università Popolare degli Studi di Milano must be recognized in Italy (and the EU); as a consequence, Università Popolare degli Studi di Milano gained popularity after operating under the radar for several years.

[9] Since 2012, Università Popolare degli Studi di Milano has received several cease-and-desist orders from the Italian Ministry of Education,[4][9] and has been convicted by a final judgment,[4] but most of its websites still advertise the services and the degrees, which are chiefly sold online.

[4][9] In 2016, the Italian Competition Authority sentenced Università Popolare degli Studi di Milano for false advertising on the web.

In its ruling, the court affirmed that Università Popolare degli Studi di Milano is not a university in Italian law, and that its degrees are not legally valid there.

The Oregon Office of Degree Authorization and the New York State Education Department made it known that Yorker International University was never accredited.

In his personal website, he declares himself to be a university professor "as stated in the CINECA MIUR search engine", that is to say the database of the Italian Ministry of Education.

[34] In Italy, Giovanni Neri is mostly known as the former host of an amateur TV show about hard rock and heavy metal music[37][38] in the Rome area, together with guitarist Richard Benson.