Free speech has had a good few months — but now the empire is striking back

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For the past several months, free speech has been regaining some lost ground. However, recent events suggest that the tide may once again be turning. Major figures like Elon Musk and media outlets like the Daily Wire have led the fight against censorship, a battle that is being watched by millions across the globe.

Elon Musk, after acquiring Twitter, turned the platform into an open marketplace of ideas, unveiling hidden practices and resurrecting silenced voices. His audacious move hasn't gone unnoticed, and Musk has been under intense scrutiny for it. 

Simultaneously, the Daily Wire pushed boundaries with the release of "What is a Woman?", a content piece that was initially censored and throttled, restricting its spread. Yet, with Elon Musk stepping into the fray, the narrative flipped, causing a surge in viewership that broke records. As of now, the content piece has amassed over 150 million views, largely due to Musk's endorsement, making it one of the most watched films globally.

Despite this victory for free speech, not everyone is pleased with the turn of events. A self-styled voluntary censorship group in Europe is voicing its dissent.

#UPDATE European Union commissioner Vera Jourova said Twitter's compliance with the new Digital Services Act (DSA) entering force on August 25 "will be scrutinised... vigorously and urgently".https://t.co/C3iqdSUGpU pic.twitter.com/5nO6gem0Xu

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) June 5, 2023

In a tweet, European Union commissioner Vera Jourova highlighted Twitter's non-compliance with the new Digital Services Act (DSA). Jourova, a Czech bureaucrat with a history of endorsing Communist censorship, is leading the charge against Twitter, despite the fact that she wasn't elected and is now seeking to impose EU standards on an American company.

According to a report in Barron's, Twitter is accused of seeking "confrontation" by stepping away from the EU's voluntary disinformation code. The code, which precedes the Digital Services Act, is complied with by major players like Google, Microsoft, and TikTok, while Twitter has opted for a more combative stance since Musk's takeover.

Twitter's actions are bound to face scrutiny under the DSA, an act that could impose hefty penalties. Jourova has expressed her hope that Twitter will defend its right to do business in Europe without any sanctions, though the extent of European influence on Twitter's policies remains to be seen.

According to a Wall Street Journal story, EU regulators plan to subject Twitter to a stress test to evaluate its compliance with Europe's new digital-content law. This voluntary test is to be conducted by a team of EU digital specialists and may serve as a rehearsal for how the DSA will be enforced.

In this global chess game of free speech and censorship, Canada, too, has made its move. CBC, the nation's public broadcaster, may be legally required to broadcast government messaging during a "national crisis". This proposal, coming amid the ongoing pandemic, has triggered concerns about government overreach and the further erosion of free speech.

These unfolding events in the international sphere emphasize the ever-present tension between freedom of speech and attempts to curtail it. As the world watches, the question remains: will the pendulum swing back towards open dialogue, or will the era of censorship continue to dominate?

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