Eighty years ago, a prominent war bond campaign in the U.S. featured a painting by Norman Rockwell, aimed at rallying Americans against the threat posed by European authoritarian regimes. Rockwell’s Freedom of Speech illustrated a local man standing firm in a council meeting in Vermont, epitomizing the crucial right to express one’s views, as famously championed by Louis Brandeis.
Now, this right faces renewed jeopardy from a European government attempting to restrict what Americans can communicate on political, scientific, and other matters. The European Union’s imposition of these constraints could surpass the levels of suppression previously envisioned by the Axis powers, yet American leaders have remained conspicuously quiet.
The European Union’s Digital Services Act threatens free speech, echoing concerns over suppression and censorship
In my book, The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage, I delve into the story behind Rockwell’s piece, focusing on James “Buddy” Edgerton, a Vermont selectman who bravely opposed a proposed schoolhouse due to financial constraints. His solitary dissent despite opposition perfectly captured the American ethos of standing up for one’s beliefs.
Whereas free speech once flourished in physical public forums, today it predominantly occurs online, marking the internet as advancement in free expression since the advent of the printing press. However, this advancement has prompted governments to attempt to regulate online discourse.
The European Digital Services Act represents a severe threat to free speech by prohibiting what it deems as “disinformation” or “incitement.” Margrethe Vestager of the European Commission celebrated the act as a necessary measure to ensure that online illegalities are treated with the same seriousness as offline ones.
Nevertheless, Europe’s crackdown has led to severe restrictions on speech, with countries like Germany and France criminalizing certain forms of expression while failing to address extremist rhetoric effectively.
Surveys show that only 18 percent of Germans feel comfortable voicing their opinions publicly, with even fewer feeling free to speak online. This suppression has fostered a vast censorship apparatus and an insatiable appetite for silencing dissent.
In the U.S., similar tendencies are evident, especially with figures like Elon Musk challenging European regulators over issues of censorship. After Musk’s revelations in the “Twitter files” and his controversial interview with Donald Trump, European authorities have threatened harsh penalties to enforce compliance.
Despite these international pressures, the Biden administration has largely ignored the situation. This silence suggests a troubling alignment with European censorship approaches, reminiscent of the anti-free speech climate during John Adams‘s presidency. Increasingly, the administration supports measures that stifle dissent and promote censorship.
To defend our constitutional rights, it is imperative to push back against foreign interference. Enacting new legislation, such as a Digital Freedom Act, is crucial to protect American free speech from external influences and to uphold our core democratic values.
