EU pushing through with enforcement of censorship tool Digital Services Act

By avagrace // 2025-01-28

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The EU is expanding enforcement of the Digital Services Act, criticized as a censorship tool under the pretext of combating "hate speech."
The DSA requires platforms to remove flagged "illegal content" within 24 hours, with vague definitions of "hate speech" left to EU bureaucrats and fact-checkers.
The EU plans to double its DSA enforcement staff by 2025 and appoint local coordinators to ensure compliance, citing threats to democracy from tech companies aligning with Trump’s anti-censorship stance.
The DSA’s broad reach allows content deemed illegal in one EU member state to be removed bloc-wide, targeting speech challenging government narratives or offending religious sensibilities.
The EU’s crackdown contrasts with the U.S., where platforms like X and Meta are rolling back censorship policies, highlighting a transatlantic divide on free speech values.

Under the guise of combating "hate speech," the European Union is expanding its enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA), a controversial law critics have dubbed Europe’s censorship tool. The move comes as the bloc appears increasingly rattled by the shifting tides of global politics, particularly the resurgence of President Donald Trump and his anti-censorship stance, which has found support among major tech companies like X (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook). The DSA, passed in 2022, was marketed as a way to regulate Big Tech and protect users from harmful content. But it has only been used to silence dissent and control speech. The law requires platforms to remove illegal content, including so-called "hate speech," within 24 hours of being flagged. What constitutes "hate speech," however, is often left to the discretion of EU bureaucrats and their allies in fact-checking organizations. (Related: Trump signs executive order to end federal censorship and protect free speech.) European Commission Vice President Henna Virkkunen recently declared that tech companies aligning with Trump’s policies pose a “direct threat to European democracy.” To enforce the DSA, the EU is expanding its censorship apparatus. By the end of 2025, the Commission plans to double its staff dedicated to DSA enforcement, bringing the total to 200. Additionally, the bloc is enlisting "local coordinators" in member states to ensure compliance. These measures are framed as necessary to protect democracy. The DSA’s reach is vast. The law not only applies to all EU-wide legislation but also incorporates national legislation from all member states. This means that content deemed illegal in one country – whether for allegedly promoting hate, offending religious sensibilities or challenging government narratives – can be removed across the entire bloc.

EU cracking down on free speech as the U.S. moves in opposite direction

The EU's crackdown on free speech is not happening in a vacuum. It comes at a time when the United States is moving in the opposite direction. Under the leadership of figures like Elon Musk, platforms like X are rolling back censorship policies and embracing free expression. Musk’s decision to reinstate previously banned users, including controversial figures, has drawn ire from European officials. Similarly, Meta has scaled back its content moderation efforts in the U.S., focusing only on the most severe violations, such as terrorism and child exploitation. This transatlantic divide highlights a fundamental difference in values. While the U.S. is reaffirming its commitment to free speech, the EU is doubling down on censorship. The contrast is stark: One side sees open discourse as essential to democracy, while the other views it as a threat to be neutralized. Watch this video discussing the expansion of the EU's censorship state. This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com.

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EU cracking down on free speech as the U.S. moves in opposite direction

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