A European Union official from the Netherlands is demanding increased censorship from American social media companies.
In a press release from the Consumer and Market Authority (ACM), Manon Leijten, who is a Dutch politician currently on ACM’s board, pontificated that Big Tech has a “social duty” to censor election-related content. The release touted the infamous anti-free speech EU Digital Services Act (DSA) and demanded censorship of “disinformation,” a vague term often used by leftists to justify censorship of free speech with which they disagree.
“Large online platforms have many users. Under the Digital Services Act (DSA), they must maintain a transparent and careful policy regarding the content on their platforms and take effective measures against illegal content,” Leijten claimed in Dutch, according to Google Translate. “This is especially important during elections. Taking these measures is not only a legal, but also the social duty of large online platforms.”
The official release itself touted the types of speech it aims to pressure social media companies to censor from communist Chinese-government tied to TikTok to American companies like Facebook, Snap and X. Companies’ obligations “includes, for example, combating illegal hate speech, malicious foreign interference and disinformation surrounding the elections on their platform,” the translated release stated. This is exactly what X Global Government Affairs meant in accusing EU authorities of “de facto global censorship” this week.
In fact, the release astoundingly asserted that the “European Commission has exclusive jurisdiction over the very large online platforms, such as TikTok, Facebook, Snap and X. The ACM works closely with the European Commission and other national and European regulators.” While the statement refers to Europe, it hides the bigger truth that EU authorities are trying to dictate what American companies can allow not only in Europe, but around the world.
The ACM is holding a roundtable discussion on September 15 with representatives from the major online platforms along with EU officials and non-governmental organizations.
Conservatives are under attack! Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
