Part 7/11:
These events come amidst broader legislative efforts in Europe to tighten control over online speech. France, Spain, and other EU nations are pushing laws that criminalize certain kinds of speech, particularly content deemed offensive to public officials or containing “illegal” material. For example, Spain’s new measures would hold platform executives criminally liable for hate speech or illegal content and demand compliance with restrictive laws.
Critics see these moves as overt censorship, aimed at quelling dissent under the guise of protecting public order. The EU’s approach echoes a larger trend—a movement away from free speech towards state-controlled narratives—raising alarms about the erosion of civil liberties across the continent.