European Commission official Věra Jourová said during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland that the U.S. is moving one step further in censoring hate speech. In other words, it would put an end to our basic human right of free speech and would be blatantly unconstitutional.
European Commission VP Věra Jourová at the WEF:
“Illegal hate speech, which you will have soon also in the U.S. I think that we have a strong reason why we have this in the criminal law.” pic.twitter.com/iLR1MePTYT
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) January 17, 2023
CBN During a panel titled “The Clear and Present Danger of Disinformation” Jourová sent a warning to Twitter CEO Elon Musk that the EU intends to crack down on the company’s compliance with European data protection rules.
“They apply to Twitter regardless of who owns it. Musk should not underestimate our efforts to make big platforms responsible,” she said, according to Euractiv. “Regulators are already closely monitoring compliance with the applicable data protection rules, and we will be able to enforce the Digital Services Act later this year as well.”
Many analysts have warned that there’s a growing movement against free speech here in the U.S. supported by many journalists, academics, and even some Democrats in Congress.
Far Left Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) introduced the “Leading Against White Supremacy Act of 2023” which seeks to criminalize speech that supports “white supremacy.”
Conservatives have questioned whether that broad label would include people who voice concerns about issues like Critical Race Theory or border security. And Intercessors for America warns Jackson’s bill “is a leftist attempt to redefine ‘hate crimes’ to include the activities of white people.”
Whatever the congresswoman’s intent, constitutional experts point out that the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, even speech that other Americans would find objectionable or offensive.
“Members now openly call for censorship and the manipulation of what citizens see and read,” explained legal scholar Jonathan Turley. “[This] is a menacing standout. The anti-free speech elements of the bill are deeply disturbing because they reflect successful efforts at speech criminalization in other countries.”
New York recently passed a law mandating that any social-media site, that operates in the state, must establish a public channel for users to report so-called hate speech. The Social Media Hate Speech Accountability Act forces platform owners to respond directly to anyone who uses the hate speech channel, with a penalty of up to a $1,000 fine if they refuse.
Targeting hate speech sounds like a good idea on its surface, but the broader trend toward censorship and outlawing speech has legal scholars like Turley concerned. “It reflects the same erosion of free speech values that we have seen in other countries from Canada to Germany to the United Kingdom,” he explained.
Later this month, the European Commission will test the implementation of its 2022 Code of Practice on Disinformation, the National Review reports. The new policy sets specific commitments for Twitter, Google, Tik Tok, and Microsoft to counter online disinformation.
It will also require these platforms to report how they handled “disinformation”, ordering them to “reduce revenues of the purveyors of Disinformation.”
This will never happen on my shift. My website is committed to protection of 100% ‘Freedom Values’ in speech, choice and equality. I give no ahimsa quarter to such political creeps.
I notice that some of these people who want to limit some forms of free speech have no notion of limiting their own speech no matter how repugnant it may be. It is only certain viewpoints or ideas or certain groups of people that they wish to censor.
Well said Steve.
Should we not reasonably vilify any Congressperson who violates their own Oath of Office by failing to uphold and protect the First Amendment ? In fact, shouldn’t such a Congressperson be summarily impeached and removed from office?
You’re absolutely correct. And ALL should be held accountable for their failures.
Unfortunately, unless we, as a nation, unite under the leadership of one or many, and remove these traitors from their seats of power, nothing will happen and the grip of the evil ones will only grow stronger.
NO IT WON’T, SCUMBAGS
The constitution is irrevocable.
These all are a clear reason why the US Constitution is a direct barrier to what the WEF want for their neo-feudal world order. I am so proud to be a double first-cousin with Benjamin Franklin. And related to so many other of the founders of this country. And all of them would understand quite well what that group are – would-be tyrants.
Tell the wef to go and fu_k themselves sideways with a foot long metal pole and see how they like that.
President George H W Bush warned in a commencement speech that political correctness would destroy freedom of speech. His prediction is coming true as PC morphs into censorship.
The WEF are truly evil. Tony Blair is set to fill Klaus Schwabs boots when he steps down. Somebody should ask klaus what his dad did for a living.
https://i.imgflip.com/1ucbmz.jpg
They can try, cry and die …
“To attempt to silence a man is to pay him homage, for it is an acknowledgement that his arguments are both impossible to answer and impossible to ignore.” — John ‘the Birdman’ Bryant
“If the freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep, to the slaughter.” — George Washington
“Political correctness is fascism pretending to be manners.” — George Carlin
“Political correctness is tyranny with a happy face.” – Charlton Heston
“Islamophobia is a word created by fascists and used by cowards to manipulate morons.” — Christopher Hitchens
Good quotes, sadly accurate, as well.
Thanks, Had!
Ramez, I don’t agree with the ‘The Birdman’ quote. Creeps causing unjust authoritarian troublemaking must be challenged. This is not giving homage to them; their credibility must be smashed.
If we agree with them and support their idea that is giving homage.
Many arguments are not impossible to answer. And it is not impossible to ignore.
What we deal with is a matter of choice.
The Birdman appears to have fractured thinking.
Notice how they use terms like “disinformation” to justify suppressing all lines of thought that disagree with theirs?
Fining platform owners who refuse to comply with their demands? All sounds very Orwellian to me.
Exactly. Problem is, the far left in this country agree with it.
BNI, agreed. That is our problem in every country, finding persistent ways to spear the credibility of these idiot creeps.
Makes you wonder why we went to defend Europe during WW2. These new Hitler like politicians are amaking a killing on this
Ted, the people of today are a different breed to those in WWII.
Far too many of the young ones in the Western World have been brain-wrecked by wrong thinking ideas.
Good luck with that~!
Free speech means free thought and neither will ever be squelched, let alone eliminated.
Hadenoughalready, agreed.