Ready for a real taste of how our freedom of speech could go down the drain? In an alarming turn of events, the European Commission, the main regulator of the European Union, may decide to punish those who dare to share their opinions on the attempted assassination of the Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, if it doesn’t align with their Approved Truth™.
The recent attack on Fico is already causing waves within the EU, and with the Big Tech giants in their crosshairs, no one’s safe. Your friendly social media posts? Under inspection. Your tech platforms? Subject to fines. The word “disinformation” is being thrown around left, right, and center. But let’s be real – any information straying from the mainstream narrative might as well be labeled as such.
Bloomberg’s recent article by Peter Chapman and Samuel Stolton spills the beans. The European Commission is pretty much stating, no mucking around, if you’re disseminating what they consider “fake news,” expect potential penalties under the newly inked Digital Services Act. A piece of legislation that, in a nutshell, orders online platforms to toe the line or face the consequences.
“Fake news.” That’s a term we’ve all become quite familiar with, isn’t it? But question for the day: how often has it been used to silence any opposing views or inconvenient truths? The Wuhan lab leak, the Hunter Biden laptop controversy – no-go zones labeled as disinformation.
The EU’s putting a clamp on free speech using the Digital Services Act. Their excuse? To protect users’ health and wellbeing. Now, isn’t that ironic? They’re using the old “we’re just protecting you” line to justify censoring views they don’t agree with. Talk about paternalism at its worst!
And let’s not get started on the multitude of online platforms under the gun. Companies like Meta Platforms Inc and Alphabet Inc, with their massive user bases, are directly in their sights. Let’s ask ourselves, how many of these platforms will kowtow to their demands?
Russian state media has insinuated that the political motive behind the shooting was Fico’s critique of pro-Ukrainian aid. But with an overly zealous EU watchdog breathing down our necks, is that narrative allowed? If a platform was bold enough to run that video, would it risk hefty fines?
In conclusion, we’re witnessing an alarming blend of censorship and regulation growing within the confines of the European Union. They’re potentially punishing anyone daring to think, speak, or share independently. Are we ready for a world where “approved” news is our only choice? Our freedom of speech, the cornerstone of democracy, is under threat. Be aware and beware, folks. This isn’t just about misinformation. It’s about control. And that’s a slippery slope that might just end in our voices being silenced indefinitely.
