The US government agency says the European Union bloc’s online content-moderation policies violate free speech.

The EU’s online content regulations are an affront to free speech, the US State Department has said in response to France’s praise for the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The State Department echoed earlier criticism from US Vice President J.D. Vance, who accused EU member states of attempting to suppress dissenting voices and stigmatize popular conservative parties such as the Alternative für Germany (AfD) and VOX in Spain.

‘In Europe, thousands are being convicted for the crime of criticizing their own governments. This Orwellian message won’t fool the United States.

Censorship is not freedom; the State Department wrote on X on Tuesday. All the DSA protects is European leaders from their own people.’

In Europe, thousands are being convicted for the crime of criticizing their own governments. This Orwellian message won’t fool the United States. Censorship is not freedom.

Passed in 2022, the DSA mandates that the online platforms remove illegal and harmful content and combat the spread of disinformation, according to the European Commission. Critics in both the US and Europe have likened the regulations to the creation of an Orwellian 1984 novel Ministry of Truth.

Earlier this year, prosecutors in Paris launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s platform X, on suspicion that it was being used to meddle in French politics and spread hateful messages. The company dismissed the probe as politically motivated.

In 2024, the French authorities detained Russian-born tech entrepreneur Pavel Durov on charges that he had allowed his Telegram messaging app to be used for criminal activities.

Durov, who was later released on bail, denied any wrongdoing and accused France of waging a crusade against free speech.

He also says that French intelligence officials attempted to pressure him into censoring content during Romania’s 2024 presidential election. You can share this story on social media:

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK

REAL LIFE ROMANTIC PARANORMAL novels by award-winning novelist Michael Walsh include THE PHANTOM OF OPHELIA and SOUL MATES. Best read with an open mind. https://michaelwalshbooks.wordpress.com/