Everyone is free to express his or her views. Unless we don’t like them.
Having to lie all the time is exhausting work. And so it’s understandable if the media slips now and then even in the same article. But this Politico article is pretty short, so it’s hard to tell if this is clumsiness or Orwellian DoubleThink in which you are required to believe that censorship doesn’t exist… and it’s a good thing.
But then again that has been the default leftist position on everything from grooming kids to cancel culture, so maybe that’s just the way it works.
Paragraphs 1-2
Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg was not telling the truth when he said the European Union was institutionalizing censorship, the bloc’s top tech official said.
“We know that it’s not true,” European Commission Vice President Henna Virkkunen told POLITICO. “In Europe freedom of speech is one of our fundamental values and it’s also respected and protected [in] our Digital Services Act. So it’s very misleading also to say that.”
Paragraphs 7-9
She also said she would consider widening an ongoing EU investigation into whether Elon Musk’s X platform has breached the bloc’s social media rules. On X, Musk has repeatedly urged Germans to vote for the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party in an upcoming election.
The Commission formally charged Musk’s platform with failing to respect EU rules in July and is finalizing its decision — a first-of-its-kind verdict under the new tech law.
“Of course we have freedom of speech in Europe and [Musk] is free to express his views but then in the same time when it comes to X, X is having obligations under our Digital Services Act and X is supposed to assess and mitigate the risks they are posing to our electoral processes and to civic discourse.”
Everyone is free to express their views. Unless we don’t like them.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Proves that EU doesn’t censor if it censors one for saying that it does censor, doesn’t it? 😈
somehistory says
They have learned well from their mozlum overlords. The mozlum says, “we are peaceful and do not murder, and if you say we are not peaceful and that we murder, we will kill you.”
The eu doesn’t hinder one expressing his opinion unless the opinion is that the eu hinders the expression of opinion.
Nera says
Basically, you can express your views if they’re rooted in any other except European traditions and mores or we’ll censor you.
abu taleb says
“The EU Doesn’t Censor, and If You Say It Does, It Will Censor You”
Islam is the religion of peace, and if you say it is not, they will kill you. I see similar pattern here.
Kosh's Shadow says
The EU believes in free speech, in that you can say whatever you want on a street corner or park.
But not when people can actually “hear” what you are saying.
gravenimage says
Britain has even arrested people for speaking out against Islam in the park. Just look at the arrests of Hatun Tash.
James Lincoln says
Yes, gravenimage.
And, ironically, at London’s Speakers’ Corner
gravenimage says
Yes, James–how grotesque is this? As I understand it, you are supposed to be able to speak publicly about *anything* there, except for preaching violence–and it is only the Jihadists doing that. But it is those *opposing* Jihad who hav been arrested, like the unthreatenung Hatun. A least she has fought back:
“UK: Christian preacher Hatun Tash assaulted by Muslims screaming ‘Allahu akbar’ wins $13,300 for false arrest”
https://jihadwatch.org/2024/09/uk-christian-preacher-hatun-tash-assaulted-by-muslims-screaming-allahu-akbar-wins-13300-for-false-arrest
James Lincoln says
gravenimage,
Thanks for the link.
gravenimage says
The EU Doesn’t Censor, and If You Say It Does, It Will Censor You
…………………………………….
Grimly this sounds about right…
Peter Dale says
Comrade Lenin has taught the frauds that govern the EU very well. Here are two quotations of his which nicely summarise the official EU outlook:
‘Truth is a most precious thing. That’s why we should ration it.’
‘Why should a government which is doing what it believes to be right allow itself to be criticised? It would not allow opposition by lethal weapons. Ideas are much more fatal things than guns. Why should any man be allowed to buy a printing press and disseminate pernicious opinions calculated to embarrass the government?’
Nifty, eh?