{"id":73909,"date":"2025-05-21T14:22:31","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T12:22:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/?p=73909"},"modified":"2025-05-21T14:46:30","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T12:46:30","slug":"experts-warn-about-digital-services-act-censorship-at-european-parliament","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/experts-warn-about-digital-services-act-censorship-at-european-parliament","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Surveillance and control\u2019: Experts convene at European Parliament to warn about EU online censorship law, following US State Department expressing concern"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"73909\" class=\"elementor elementor-73909\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-40a65c27 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"40a65c27\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5859404\" data-id=\"5859404\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6ff7b8fb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6ff7b8fb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li>First-of-its-kind, cross-party event, co-hosted by politicians and ADF International, examined threats to free speech posed by Digital Services Act (DSA)<\/li><li>Journalist and best-selling author Rod Dreher, a friend of US Vice President JD Vance, said the VP loves Europe but opposes the continent\u2019s censorial ruling class<\/li><li>Pressure on DSA builds, following US State Department expressing concern over censorial impact of the law<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-19a6a99c elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-featured-image elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"19a6a99c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-featured-image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-21-at-10.43.48-1024x682.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-73910\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-21-at-10.43.48-1024x682.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-21-at-10.43.48-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-21-at-10.43.48-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-21-at-10.43.48-1536x1023.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-05-21-at-10.43.48.jpeg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7181d0bf elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7181d0bf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Brussels (21 May 2025) \u2013 <\/strong>Experts this morning warned about the threats of an EU online censorship law, in a first-of-its-kind, cross-party convening at the European Parliament.<\/p>\n<p>The well-attended conference, which was co-hosted by ADF International, and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Stephen Bartulica and Virginie Joron, was entitled \u201cThe Digital Services Act and Threats to Freedom of Expression\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The event followed the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, &amp; Labour, a bureau within the US State Department, expressing concern about the censorial impact of the Digital Services Act (DSA).<\/p>\n<p>At the event, which was attended by MEPs and staffers from across the political spectrum, think-tankers, journalists and others, Ms Joron warned that although the DSA was meant to create a \u201csafe online environment\u201d, it has \u201cmorphed into a tool that risks undermining our fundamental freedoms\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>She added: \u201cWhat was sold as the Digital Services Act is increasingly functioning as a Digital Surveillance Act. The European Commission, alongside some parliamentarians, has seized upon the DSA as a political tool to control speech, particularly targeting platforms like X, Facebook, and Telegram.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe DSA was meant to protect our digital space, not to control it\u2026 The DSA, once a shield for our rights, risks becoming a Trojan horse for surveillance and control.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr Coleman, an international human rights lawyer specialising in free speech and Executive Director of ADF International, a Christian legal organisation that defends freedom of expression, told the conference: \u201cFree speech is again under threat on this continent in a way it hasn\u2019t been since the nightmare of Europe\u2019s authoritarian regimes just a few decades ago.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe internet is the frontline of this assault on free speech in Europe\u2014particularly through the Digital Services Act.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He added that \u201cserious questions can and should be raised\u201d about whether the DSA is compatible with \u201cbinding obligations to protect freedom of expression\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>He commented from his position of legal expertise that it was his \u201cstrong view\u201d that \u201cit is not\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In his speech, Mr Bartulica warned that \u201chate speech\u201d, which politicians want to use the DSA to \u201caddress\u201d, is \u201cimpossible to define\u201d as a legal concept.<\/p>\n<p>He said quoting Christian Scripture could even be considered \u201chate speech\u201d by those in power.<\/p>\n<p>Mr Coleman mentioned the case of Finnish parliamentarian P\u00e4ivi R\u00e4s\u00e4nen, which is supported by ADF International, in his speech, as a \u201charrowing example of what censorship under the DSA could look like in practice\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>He said: \u201cSix years ago, P\u00e4ivi posted a picture of a Bible verse and expressed her Christian views on sexuality on X. She was criminally prosecuted for alleged \u2018hate speech\u2019 and has been unanimously acquitted in two trials.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut the state prosecutor has appealed the case again. And shockingly, her case\u2014in which she faces trial for posting online\u2014is now pending before Finland\u2019s Supreme Court.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow, under the DSA, deeply problematic national laws restricting speech\u2014like the \u201chate speech\u201d legislation used to prosecute P\u00e4ivi \u2014could be broadly applied across the EU by this simple principle: If it\u2019s considered illegal in one place, it could be in every place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr Bartulica also said that in the EU \u201cwe have regulated or controlled speech and not free speech\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>He added: \u201cWe don\u2019t have to reinvent the wheel\u2014we\u2019ve seen where mass censorship leads. Under communism and other totalitarian regimes, it\u2019s not a pretty picture.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a totalitarian impulse in many of these people in Brussels, who are just waiting to censor speech they don\u2019t like.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>JD Vance opposes Europe\u2019s censorial ruling class<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Also speaking at the event was American journalist and bestselling author Rod Dreher.<\/p>\n<p>Mr Dreher, who is a friend of US Vice President JD Vance, said that following the Vice President\u2019s speech in Munich, that people had asked him if VP Vance hates Europe.<\/p>\n<p>He said: \u201cOf course\u201d the VP does not hate Europe\u2014he loves it enough to speak the truth about its censorship crisis.<\/p>\n<p>But Mr Dreher did say the VP opposes Europe\u2019s censorial ruling class.<\/p>\n<p>Mr Dreher observed that \u201celites would prefer to suppress discussion of discontent and its sources\u201d\u2014smearing such discussion as &#8220;hate speech&#8221;\u2014rather than acknowledge the serious problems plaguing their societies.<\/p>\n<p>Drawing on the wisdom of Soviet dissidents, he recommended that in the face of \u201csoft totalitarianism\u201d in the West today that people &#8220;refuse to participate in any event where one cannot speak the truth\u2026 Prepare to suffer for the truth\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How to oppose the DSA<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In his speech, Mr Coleman also gave concrete ways in which the DSA can be opposed.<\/p>\n<p>He said: \u201cIt is thankfully the case that freedom of expression is guaranteed in Article 11 of the EU Charter, Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAccording to these and the jurisprudence of the ECHR, any limitations to free speech must be proportionate and necessary in a democratic society.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd so, serious questions can and should be raised about whether the DSA is compatible with these binding obligations to protect freedom of expression.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is my strong view, as you may have guessed from this speech, that it is not. So, what can be done about this?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMember states could initiate an action for annulment before the Court of Justice of the European Union. Through this, the whole or parts of the DSA could be declared inapplicable, if they are deemed to infringe on the EU Charter or Treaties.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe same question, of considering whether the DSA is compatible with binding obligations to protect free speech, is key for the upcoming DSA review, in which the Commission must evaluate the act in view of other legal commitments.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is imperative that every opportunity is taken in the review, which must occur by mid-November this year, to raise concerns about the censorial impact of the DSA.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis could be accomplished through written or oral questions to the European Commission and even by inviting Commissioner Henna Virkkunen to discuss the legislation in the European Parliament. After all, if the Commissioner is as in favour of freedom of expression as she claims to be, why would she refuse?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is vital to include representatives of civil society, tech companies and digital rights groups in such conversations, as they can share their invaluable expertise on this important issue.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs elected representatives of your people, you are also in an excellent position to bring the public\u2019s attention to the grave risks to free speech posed by the DSA.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe truth is that every single European\u2019s rights are jeopardised by this legislation. The more the public is aware of and speaks out about this, the more pressure the Commission will feel. And the more likely we are to defeat this law.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Background <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s conference was the first of its kind in the European Parliament to focus on the threats to free speech posed by the DSA, to offer concrete answers on how to oppose them, and to discuss the fundamental importance of freedom of expression for societal flourishing, in that context.<\/p>\n<p>The gathering of free speech experts adds to steadily building pressure on the DSA, following a letter&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/europeanconservative.com\/articles\/news\/exclusive-eu-censorship-regime-must-not-chill-american-speech-congressmen-warn-brussels\/\">reportedly<\/a>&nbsp;sent to the European Commission last week by the US House Judiciary Committee, expressing concern over the legislation.<\/p>\n<p>Henna Virkkunen, the Commission\u2019s Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, also&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu\/en\/news\/executive-vice-president-henna-virkkunen-united-states-high-level-meetings-tech-industry-and\">met<\/a>&nbsp;with Congressman Jim Jordan, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, in Washington DC last week.<\/p>\n<p>In a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/HennaVirkkunen\/status\/1923644011153097181\">post<\/a>&nbsp;on X, she said: \u201cCandid exchange with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Jim_Jordan\">@Jim_Jordan<\/a>&nbsp;[Chairman Jordan].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She went on to claim in the post: \u201cFreedom of speech is a fundamental right in the EU and is strongly protected by our digital rules. Happy to continue our good discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this month, the US Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor expressed concern over the censorial impact of the DSA.<\/p>\n<p>The State Department bureau&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/StateDRL\/status\/1917926570959765545\">posted<\/a>&nbsp;on X: \u201cThe Department of State is deeply concerned about efforts by governments to coerce American tech companies into targeting individuals for censorship. Freedom of expression must be protected \u2013 online and offline.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExamples of this conduct are troublingly numerous. EU Commissioner Thierry Breton threatened X for hosting political speech.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The post continued: \u201cT\u00fcrkiye fined Meta for refusing to restrict content about protests; and Australia required X to remove a post criticizing an individual for promoting gender ideology.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEven when content may be objectionable, censorship undermines democracy, suppresses political opponents, and degrades public safety. The United States opposes efforts to undermine freedom of expression. As&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SecRubio\">@SecRubio<\/a>&nbsp;[Marco Rubio] said, our diplomacy will continue to place an emphasis on promoting fundamental freedoms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Digital Services Act<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>EU politicians have stated their desire for the DSA to \u201caddress\u2019 so-called \u201cmis\u201d and \u201cdisinformation\u201d online\u2014vague and subjective terms, which experts have warned can be used to justify censorship.<\/p>\n<p>The regulation would provide an incentive to put pressure on tech companies, including American ones, to censor speech, rather than risk massive financial penalties for non-compliance.<\/p>\n<p>There are additional concerns in the US about the DSA potentially having an extraterritorial impact and being used to censor speech inside America.<\/p>\n<p>An attempt at using the regulation to censor speech in the US was seen last summer, when former Commissioner Thierry Breton warned Elon Musk to not breach the DSA ahead of his X interview with then-Presidential candidate Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Find more information on the DSA&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/article\/digital-services-act-unpacked\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-563716c1 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"563716c1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-359a6829 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"359a6829\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div 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Digital Services Act (DSA) Journalist and best-selling author Rod Dreher, a friend of US Vice President JD Vance, said the VP loves Europe but opposes the continent\u2019s censorial ruling class Pressure on DSA builds, following US State Department expressing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":163,"featured_media":73910,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[1256,1255,25,1012,219],"class_list":["post-73909","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-european-commission","tag-european-union","tag-free-speech","tag-freedom-of-expression","tag-paul-coleman"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u2018Surveillance and 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