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Say ‘NO’ to Online Censorship under the Digital Services Act (DSA)

It may claim to create “a safe online environment” but the DSA is among the most dangerous censorship regimes of the digital age.

Signatures 400
Goal 1,500

What You Need to Know

  • The EU’s Digital Services Act threatens to impose online censorship in the EU and across the whole world.
  • More than 100 free speech experts recently signed a letter to the European Commission, warning of these censorship risks and urging the Commission to consult free speech experts, as part of their review of the DSA.
  • Add your voice to theirs and stand up for free speech in the digital public square by signing the letter today.

Sign the Letter Now

Open Letter on the Censorship Provisions of the Digital Services Act

 

Date: 9 October 2025

Re: Urgent Call for a Robust and Transparent Review of the Digital Services Act, Including Reviewing Protections for Free Expression

We write amid global instability—marked by conflict, inequality, and accelerating digitalisation. Particularly in such times, the ability of citizens to freely express their views, question prevailing narratives, and engage in open public discourse is not a luxury. It is a necessity.

Freedom of expression is the cornerstone of democratic societies. It is through the exchange of ideas—including controversial ones—that societies evolve, and public officials remain accountable.

Yet across the European Union and beyond, we are witnessing a shrinking of civic space. Each week brings new reports of individuals facing censorship or punitive measures for speech that challenges prevailing orthodoxy—whether it is member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen in Finland, or veteran Adam Smith-Connor in the United Kingdom.

In an era where public discourse increasingly takes place online, the Digital Services Act (DSA) compounds these concerns. Although the Commission has claimed that the DSA enhances “legal certainty” and provides “greater democratic control”, its current framework undermines free speech.

The DSA introduces sweeping mechanisms that empower both institutions and private actors to flag content they believe to be “illegal”—a term broadly defined as any content not compliant with EU or national laws. This creates a situation in which speech lawful at the time of publication could be retroactively flagged and penalised under shifting legal standards across 27 member states.

Let us be clear: there is a broad consensus that certain forms of expression—such as child exploitation or incitement to terrorism—must be prohibited. However, the DSA goes far beyond these narrow and universally agreed limits. Instead, it constructs a pan-European censorship infrastructure with loosely defined boundaries and the potential to suppress legitimate democratic discourse. This raises several pressing concerns:

  1. A Race to the Bottom in Censorship Standards
    The wide definition of illegal content allows the most speech-restrictive provisions of one single EU country to be imposed as a standard across the entire Union, and potentially worldwide, effectively importing the lowest common denominator of expression
  2. Cross-Border Enforcement and Worldwide Takedown Orders
    The broad definition of “illegal content” in the DSA, combined with existing jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), opens the door to worldwide takedowns. For example, in the Glawischnig-Piesczek case, the CJEU allowed removal obligations to extend beyond national borders within the EU, while in the Google LLC case, it confirmed that takedowns could even have a worldwide effect.Reflecting these concerns, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee warned in a letter to European Commissioner Henna Virkkunen that the DSA, though formally limited to EU speech, could end up curbing the constitutionally protected speech of Americans. “Though nominally applicable to only EU speech, the DSA, as written, may limit or restrict Americans’ constitutionally protected speech in the United States. Companies that censor an insufficient amount of ‘misleading or deceptive’ speech—as defined by EU bureaucrats—face fines up to six percent of global revenue, which would amount to billions of dollars for many American companies. Furthermore, because many social media platforms generally maintain one set of content moderation policies that they apply globally, restrictive censorship laws like the DSA may set de facto global censorship standards.”
  3. Incompatibility with Freedom of Expression
    The DSA risks contravening the well-established principles of freedom of expression enshrined in Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. These instruments require that any limitation on speech be lawful, necessary, proportionate, and foreseeable. Yet, under the DSA, content moderation decisions are increasingly governed by vague categories such as disinformation, hate speech, abuse of information, information integrity, and information manipulation, many of which lack clear legal definitions or consistent judicial interpretation.
  4. Delegation of Censorship to Unaccountable Entities
    The DSA deputizes so-called “trusted flaggers”—many of whom operate without transparency, democratic oversight, or accountability—to police online discourse. These entities may act with their own political or ideological agendas, further eroding public trust.
  5. Opaque Review Process
    We are also concerned by the Commission’s ongoing implementation review. According to the response to an urgent Written Question in the European Parliament, the review is based on undisclosed surveys sent to unnamed stakeholders. This process lacks transparency, undermining the very democratic legitimacy the DSA claims to enhance.

In light of these concerns, and pursuant to Article 91 of the DSA—which mandates a formal review by 17 November—we, the undersigned, urge the European Commission to:

  1. Conduct a comprehensive and inclusive consultation with independent experts in freedom of expression, constitutional law, and digital rights, ahead of the November review, inviting public comments.
  2. Publicly disclose the list of NGOs, civil society actors, and partner entities engaged in the review process, including the criteria and methodology used for their selection.
  3. Ensure that the review includes a rigorous legal analysis of the DSA’s compatibility with fundamental rights protections, especially under Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, Article 10 of the ECHR, and Article 19 of the ICCPR.

The European Union has long prided itself on being a beacon of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. But rights safeguarded in charters and treaties must also be protected in regulation and practice. Only through an honest and critical assessment can the EU ensure that its digital policies remain aligned with the very human rights principles it seeks to defend.

Yours sincerely,

Sign the Letter Now

Signatories*

The signatories of this letter are united in their commitment to free speech, and represent a diverse range of viewpoints. We affirm that it is only by free and open debate that we will be able to tackle the issues of our day — a prerequisite for a flourishing society. It is in this spirit that we join together with this letter to support a free and open public square.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali – Research Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University, Founder of the AHA Foundation
Prof. Paul D. Aligică – Professor, University of Bucharest
Gilbert Andres – Chairperson, Advocates for Freedom of Expression Coalition, Southeast Asia
Cristian Araya – Member of Congress, Chile
Stephen Nikola Bartulica – Member of the European Parliament
Stephen Baskerville, PhD – Professor of Political Studies, Collegium Intermarium, Warsaw
Ludek Bednar – Publicist and Ex-Dissident of the Communist Regime
Sabine Beppler-Spahl – Chair Freiblickinstitut e.V.
Hedwig v. Beverfoerde – Spokeswoman of DemoFürAlle
Laoise de Brún BL – CEO & Founder, The Countess
Dr. Peter Boghossian – Founding Faculty Advisor, University of Austin
Eduardo Bolsonaro – Member of Congress, Brazil
Sam Brownback – Former US Senator, Former US Ambassador-At-Large for International Religious Freedom
Ivo Budil – Professor of Anthropology and University Teacher
Javier Villamor Cantera – Journalist
Paul Coleman – Executive Director, ADF International
Leonardo Correa – Lawyer, 3C Law, Brazil
Rodrigo Iván Cortés – Former Member of Congress, Brazil
Ivan David – Member of the European Parliament
Seth Dillon – CEO, The Babylon Bee
Mihaela Djorgova – Psychologist, Chairman and Co-Founder of the Association Society and Values, Bulgaria
Misa Djurkovic, PhD – Head of the Center of Geopolitics, MCC Budapest and Researcher, Institute of European Studies, Belgrade
Katerina Dostalova – Art Gallery Owner
Klara Dostalova – Member of the European Parliament
Rod Dreher – Author and Journalist
Petr Drulak – Professor of Politology and Former Czech Ambassador
Chris Elston “Billboard Chris” – Child Protection Advocate, Free Speech Activist
Ellen Kryger Fantini – Deputy Editor of The European Conservative
Ján Figel’ – President FOREF Europe, Slovakia, Former European Commissioner
Paulo Figueiredo – Journalist, USA/Brazil
Angeline Furet – Member of the European Parliament
Elio A. Gallego García – Chair of Philosophy of Law at San Pablo CEU University and Founding Member of the Spanish Law & Liberty Circle
Robert P. George, JD, DPhil, DCL, DLitt – McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University
Asterios Thomas Girbas – Attorney at Law, PhD candidate, University of Athens, Greece
Jan Gregor – Vice-Chairman, Alliance for Family, Czech Republic
Branko Grims – Member of the European Parliament
Wayne Grudem, PhD – Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus of Theology and Biblical Studies, Phoenix Seminary, USA
Brice Hamard – Lawyer and Civil Society Leader
Kaspars Herbsts – Member of the Board of Association “Ģimene”, Latvia
Patrick-André de Hillerin – Journalist
Prof. Dr. Ralf Hӧcker LL.M. – Attorney-at-law, Cologne, Germany
Andrea Hoffman – Lawyer, Instituto Isabel, Brazil
James Holland – European Parliament Advisor
Zdenek Hraba – Senator, Czech Republic
Ginka Hrisova – Founder of the International Legal Advice Center (ILAC)
Ladislav Ilčić – Former Member of the European Parliament
Ladislav Jakl – Former Secretary of the Czech President Václav Klaus
Jean-Marc Potdevin – Member of Esperalgo and the Former VP of Yahoo Europe
Cecilie Jilkova – Writer, Daughter of Czechoslovak Dissidents
Virginie Joron – Member of the European Parliament
Fernand Kartheiser – Member of the European Parliament
Daniel Kaiser – Echo Weekly Columnist
Birgit Kelle – Journalist and Bestselling Author, Germany
Dr. Michael Kinsella – Director, Digital Justice Institute
Viktor Kostov, PhD – Lawyer, and Missiologist, Freedom for All
Ondrej Knotek – Member of the European Parliament
Kyriakos Kotsoglu – Associate Professor, School of Law, Northumbria University; Research Fellow
Daniela Kovářová – Senator, Czech Republic
Dr. Gudrun Kugler – Member of Parliament, Austria
Madeleine Lacsko – Journalist and Writer, Brazil
Agustín Laje – Author and Political Scientist
Jan Ledóchowski – President of Platform Christdemokratie
Alix Lejard – EU Delegate, Femina Europe
Dr. Norman Lewis – Visiting Research Fellow, MCC Brussels
Dr. James Lindsay – President of New Discourses
Stéphane Luçon – Journalist, DSA Article 53 Complainant
Paul Marshall – Baylor University, Hudson Institute, Religious Freedom Institute
Dr. Javier Martínez-Torrón – Professor of Law, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
Pavel Matocha – Member of the Czech Television Council
Ann E. Mayer – Associate Professor Emeritus of Legal Studies, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Alan Miller – Together Association
Dr. Calum Miller – Medical Doctor, Research Fellow, University of Oxford
Saloméja Fernandez Montojo – Assistant Professor of Mykolas Romeris University, Lithuania
R. Albert Mohler, Jr. – President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Dra. María Jesús Gutiérrez del Moral – Professora Titular Acreditada Catedràtica, Degana de la Facultat de Dret / Dean Faculty of Law, Universitat de Girona
Michaela Moravčíková – Faculty of Law, Trnava University, Slovakia
Carol Nolan – Member of Parliament, Ireland
Brendan O’Neill – Chief Political Writer, Spiked
Sarah O’Reilly – CEO, Free Speech Ireland
Rafael Palomino – Professor of Law, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
Sylvie Perez – French Author
Andrea Piccioti-Bayer – Director, The Conscience Project
Margarita de la Pisa – Member of the European Parliament
Jaroslava Pokorná Jermanová – Member of the European Parliament
Laetitia Watteau Pouliquen – Advocacy Director at NBIC Ethics
Gabriel Quadri – Member of Parliament, Mexico
Dr. Aaron Rhodes – Author, Former Executive Director of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, and Former President of the Forum for Religious Freedom-Europe
Prof. Etienne de Rocquigny – Chairman, Espérance & Algorithmes Think-tank, Founder, Blaise Pascal Advisors
Patricia Santos Rodríguez – Editor in Brussels for El Debate, Professor of Philosophy of Law, University CEU San Pablo Madrid, Spain
Robert Roos – Former Member of the European Parliament
John Rosenthal – Independent Scholar and Journalist
Pedro Tenorio Sanchez – Catedrático de Derecho Constitucional
Henk Jan van Schothorst – Executive Director CCI
Maimon Schwarzschild – Professor of Law, University of San Diego
Michael Shellenberger – CBB Chair of Censorship, Politics, & Free Speech at the University of Austin & Founder, Civilization Works. Twitter Files
HyoSung Shin – Visiting Professor, PhD in Law, Department of Law and Public Administration, Myongji University
John Theodore Steenhof – Principal Lawyer, Human Rights Law Alliance Limited, Australia
Joachim Nikolaus Steinhöfel – Attorney and Bestselling Author
Karolina Stonjekova – Political Columnist
Nadine Strossen – Senior Fellow, FIRE, Former President, American Civil Liberties Union (1991-2008)
David Thunder – Ramón y Cajal Researcher, Institute for Culture & Society, Religion & Civil Society Project, Biblioteca de Humanidades, University of Navarra
Laurence Trochu – Member of the European Parliament
Carl R. Trueman – Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington, D.C.
George Tryfiates – Vice President for Public Policy and Legal Affairs, Association of Christian Schools International
Filip Turek – Member of the European Parliament
David Vandeput – President of Voorzitter, General Secretary of the Federal Synod of Protestant and Evangelical Churches in Belgium
Daniel Vavra – Free Speech Society Co-Founder
Vlastimil Vesely – Director, The Free Speech Society, Czech Republic
Kristen Waggoner – President & CEO, Alliance Defending Freedom / ADF International
Andrew. T. Walker – Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Public Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Godfrey Yogarajah – General Secretary, National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka and Ambassador for Religious Freedom, World Evangelical Alliance
Lord Toby Young – Founder & General Secretary, Free Speech Union
Sergio Zaragoza – México Elige, Mexico

*Institutional affiliations are listed for identification purposes only, names are in alphabetical order.

This legislation will result in dangerous overreach that threatens the very freedoms it claims to protect.

Adina Portaru, EU Digital Services Act expert at ADF International

Adina Portaru

Senior Counsel, Europe for ADF International

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