EU social media law isn’t censorship, tech chief tells US critic

The EU’s social media law does not regulate speech, EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen told US lawmaker Jim Jordan, who had criticised it as censorship. Virkkunen defended the Digital Services Act (DSA), saying it ensures free speech by requiring transparency in content moderation.

She stressed that Brussels and national regulators have no power to control content, as rules on illegal speech are set by EU or national laws.

Jordan had raised concerns that the DSA could restrict free speech in the U.S., but Virkkunen dismissed this, stating the law applies only within the EU.

“The EU is deeply committed to protecting and promoting free speech online and offline. Many Europeans have living memories of censorship and persecution during the Cold War under communist regimes”, she said. Jordan had warned that the DSA, which only applies in the EU, “may limit or restrict Americans’ constitutionally protected speech in the United States.”