President Donald Trump is well known for his first American agenda. Some interpreted this as an isolated attitude of retreating from the world stage. If anything, the first few weeks have shown energetic involvement in foreign policy. America’s first thing does not mean liberation with the world. Rather, it meant that I seriously embraced the basic principles of America and believed that they were core values ​​that other countries respect when proudly demonstrated.
One of these fundamental American principles is freedom of speech, and the Trump administration is confirming that the world sees America actively fighting for it.
This new stance, which strongly declared America’s value in free speech on the global stage, still had the biggest demonstration of last week’s new administration. Friday, Vice President JD Vance spoke At the Munich Security Conference. Rather than focusing on external global threats from Russia and China, Vance turned his attention to the main worrying trends in Europe: the rise of aggressive censorship.
Vance lamented the “retreat of Europe from some of the most fundamental values ​​shared with the United States.” For Americans, censorship is in itself an attack on democracy. As the Vice President said, “Nothing to dismiss people, dismiss concerns, or even worse, to shut down the media, stop elections, or shut down people from the political process.” In fact, it is the surest way to destroy democracy. “Free speech should not be merely American values, but a universally shared fundamental right, and enthusiastically eagerly by European allies. is protected by international treaties and charters signed by the
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Vance highlighted an example of attacks on freedom of expression, particularly those of British Army veterans and ADF International clients. Adam Smith Conner. Smith Connor was charged with violating a “buffer zone” outside an abortion clinic in November 2022, when he prayed quietly. Last October, Smith Connor was criminally convicted of his three-minute quiet prayer. Smith Connor’s appeal will be heard in July.
But it is just one example of what has become an increasingly systematic attempt in Europe to censor and control public discourse to eliminate “false” opinions.
That’s how many other cases are there PäiviA member of Finland was investigated for almost four years after he filed a “hate speech” criminal charge and posted photos of biblical poems on Twitter at the time.
However, on a broader level, the European Digital Services Act (DSA) could potentially export censorship systems to all European social media users and potentially export censorship across the world, including the United States. DSA impose Large penalties for large social media companies that do not comply with orders that censor so-called “illegal content” are widely defined as illegal under EU or national law. In particular, this includes ambiguous and subjective terms such as “hate speech,” “misinformation,” “disinformation,” and “disinformation,” as the above narratives show.
Large social media companies are often American companies, meaning DSA can be done. harm It leads to censorship of Americans as well as American businesses. From Adobe to Zoom and most social media platforms, almost every major US digital service provider maintains these types of harmful policies, as reported by ADF. Viewpoint Diversity Index. If you oppose the government’s position and voice that opinion on social media, there is a very high chance that European bureaucrats will try to silence your voice as “misinformation.” Look at the case of Smith-Connor and Räsänen.
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Concerns that European enthusiasts for expanding and exporting censorship feel as bad as themselves, is an animation principle for promoting free speech on his trip to Europe last week. , Key themes. At the beginning of the week, between him speech With AI, Vance directly criticized the Digital Services Act and “large regulations that have been created about deleting content and cracking down on so-called misinformation.” “The US will not accept it and will not accept it,” he said.
Vance does not pursue this free speech stance towards Europe alone. Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has filed a call to the European Commission. letter At the end of last month, “Express”[ing] Our serious concerns about how the DSA censorship clause will affect US freedom of speech. “Last week, the Judiciary Committee held an a. Hearing It emphasizes overseas censorship efforts on the “censorship industrial complex.”
One of President Trump’s first actions was Presidential Order Prevents federal efforts to promote censorship against Americans, particularly by pretending to fight “misinformation,” “disinformation,” and “malicious formations.” This was sharp Turn About From the Biden Harris administration to pressure from social media companies to censoring posts skeptical of government policies. Secretary of State Marco Rubio followed suit. announcement He would end “a program that somehow leads to censorship of Americans.”
Vance and critics of the Trump administration tried to make Vance’s position sound extreme over the weekend, but instead confirmed how right he was to strongly defend his freedom of speech. Margaret Brennan had no worse response than CBS on Sunday. Absurd For 60 minutes he condemned the Holocaust’s freedom of speech. Promotion A German system that prosecutes thousands of cases of “hate speech” and shaming online. Now that the weaponization of terms such as “misinformation” and “disinformation” has been exposed, rhetoric from opponents of freedom of speech is becoming more direct.
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Vance’s speech is a clear moment, lying clearly choice Between freedom of speech and censorship. When it comes to opposing global censorship, the Trump administration has made its promise early, especially when it could affect Americans. Vance’s Munich speech is the clearest demonstration that America will once again take the lead to ensure protection of free speech in America and around the world.
Sean Nelson is an international human rights lawyer who serves as ADF International’s global religious freedom lawyer.
Syndicated with permission From RealClearWire.
