JD Vance: EU restricts freedom of speech

US Vice President J.D. Vance used his appearance at the Munich Security Conference in mid-February for a general reckoning with Europe. He said EU Commissioners were suppressing freedom of expression and restricting access to online platforms and search engines in certain situations with the help of the Digital Services Act.

Ribera reacted to the accusations with incomprehension. “If there is a problem, a point of concern, please explain that,” the EU Commissioner said. “That doesn’t make sense.”

Volker Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and Transport, also made it clear that European values are not negotiable, neither through political pressure nor through market dominance. “Anyone who believes that European rules can be dictated from outside is very much mistaken,” emphasized the politician. “The EU Commission must consistently enforce the Digital Services Act (DSA) – without compromises and without deals. Anyone who confuses freedom of expression with the freedom to spread hate and disinformation is misjudging the foundations of our values.”