By Tim Keary

Key Takeaways

  • Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski has left Europe following the arrest of the Telegram CEO by French authorities.
  • Pavlovski said French authorities have “crossed a red line”.
  • The arrest of Durov has sparked a significant backlash from free speech advocates.
  • Prominent figures like Elon Musk and Vitalik Buterin have criticized the arrest, framing it as an attack on freedom of expression in Europe.
  • The European Union’s Digital Services Act is under scrutiny for its potential to undermine free speech.

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Europe Under Scrutiny Over Vague Censorship Law

The European Union (EU) is facing criticism over a law that many argue could undermine free speech across the continent. The law, known as the Digital Services Act (DSA), has been characterized by critics as vague and potentially dangerous legislation that could be used to censor online content.

Just last week, citing the law, EU Commissioner Thierry Breton wrote a letter to Elon Musk warning him about allowing Europeans to view his interview with former President Donald Trump on X.

In response, a coalition of organizations and individuals criticized Breton for attempting to suppress freedom of expression beyond the EU and likened his actions to those of an autocratic nation rather than a democracy.

“We are particularly concerned by your attempt to use the DSA to stifle freedom of expression beyond the European Union because of what you call ‘spillovers,’” they wrote in a letter addressed to Breton.

“Warning an online platform that streaming an interview with one of the two key candidates in the United States presidential election may be incompatible with an online safety law is more characteristic of an autocratic nation than a democracy.”

The signatories included groups like The Future of Free Speech, TechFreedom, Insitute H21, The Copia Institute, Justitia, Adam Smith Institute, Center for Political Studies, Istituto Bruno Leoni, and individuals including former ACLU President Nadine Strossen.

According to the Free Speech Coalition, Breton’s warning to Musk highlights a broader trend within the EU to impose draconian measures on social media companies. These measures, they claim, could lead to widespread censorship.

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