French feminists cancel event in Brussels amid death threats from trans activists
French journalist and author Dora Moutot and feminist activist Marguerite Stern have had to cancel a scheduled conference at Café Laïque in Brussels following…
Free speech
Latest reporting and analysis on free speech.
French Communist senators call on government to put down Christian protests
"These fundamentalist practices raise concerns for us as they challenge the foundations of our republican principles."
Azeri’s Aliyev: brutal, murderous but the West says, ‘Look at all his luscious oil’
In principle, we do not like autocrats. We also clearly condemn ethnic cleansing practices.
Turkey blocks instant messaging platform Discord
Turkey has blocked access to the instant messaging platform Discord following a court decision after the platform refused to share information demanded by the…
European Commission refers Hungary to EU Court of Justice over ‘sovereignty law’
Hungary claimed that it did not infringe EU law and that the concerns raised were unfounded.
Assange was ‘political prisoner’, says Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
A few months after his release from prison, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has recognised Julian Assange as a political prisoner.
Berlin police raid homes of five men on suspicion of ‘pro-Palestinian’ crimes
German authorities have raided the homes of five men suspected of involvement in "pro-Palestinian-motivated crimes" as part of a broader effort to crack down on…
‘Free Speech absolutist’ X suspended over 5 million accounts in first half of 2024
The first transparency report X published since its takeover by Elon Musk shows the platform still moderates its users heavily.
Brussels bookshop axes conservatives to protect ‘inclusive space’
A Brussels bookshop has reversed its decision to host a Conservative event, in the hope of preserving its status as an "inclusive space", organisers of the gathering…
Ireland drops controversial new ‘hate-speech’ laws
The Irish Government has announced it will drop its highly controversial plans to introduce new prohibitions on so-called "hate speech".
Telegram update to let authorities access users’ data
Messaging app Telegram has updated its terms of service and privacy, indicating that the application is set to provide users' data to authorities.
Kyiv bans the use of Telegram for Ukraine officials, citing security concerns
Ukraine's National Cyber Security Coordination Centre (NCC) has decided to ban the use of social media platform Telegram for officials, citing security concerns.
German police try to strong-arm US media company’s freedom of speech
Political correctness in its original sense is a notion used in the early 20th century by totalitarian regimes in order to describe what was in tune with the party…
Estonian professor stripped of ‘Emeritus’ status for attending Russian conference
Estonia's Tallinn University has revoked the Emeritus status of Rein Müllerson, an internationally recognised expert in international law, following his participation…
EXCLUSIVE: US Congressman makes fresh attack on Breton, warns ‘digital enforcer’ not to censor Americans
A leading US Congressman has accused the European Union's self-styled digital enforcer, Thierry Breton, of failing to alleviate the concerns held by US lawmakers…
Left MEP Pappas blasts colleagues over ‘vulgar’ complaint
Greek Syriza MEP Nikos Pappas has hit back at the European People's Party (EPP) after it sent a letter of complaint about him to European Parliament President Roberta…
Polish journalists guilty of defamation over TV satire
Three Polish journalists have been found guilty of defamation, a criminal offence in Poland, for their part in a Polish TVP programme in which a well known charity…
Brussels told to act against alleged Tusk admin media restrictions
A Polish MEP has demanded action from Brussels over alleged attempts by his country's government to restrict independent media.
Police arrest ‘revolting Brussels Metro YouTube prankster’ YaNike
YaNike, the infamous Brussels-based YouTuber known for throwing buckets of excrement, oil and other filth over unsuspecting victims on the city’s Metro system,…
As Europeans are arrested for what they say, how ‘free’ is Europe’s speech?
While America and Europe are two parts of one West, they have always treated the idea of “rights” differently.
Singer suspended from Royal Swedish Opera over ‘pro-Russia’ comments
Opera singer Mattias Milder has been suspended from the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm following controversial "pro-Russia" comments on social media.
EU digital law ‘restricts freedom of expression’, says French whistleblowers’ group
The Association for the Support of Whistleblowers (ASLA) has accused European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA) of "restricting freedom of expression under the…
Durov released on €5m bail as France charges Telegram boss
A French judge put Telegram boss Pavel Durov under formal investigation on Wednesday, August 28 in a probe into organized crime on the messaging app, but granted…
EU condemns Afghanistan after it forbids women from talking in public
The European Union has said it was "appalled" by the Taliban's announcement of severe limitations on women's freedom in Afghanistan.
Meta ‘arbitrarily’ suspends French right-wing accounts: Marion Maréchal
French politician Marion Maréchal has accused Meta of "arbitrarily "suspending right-wing accounts on Instagram.
Macron, Brussels deny involvement in Telegram CEO’s arrest
French President Emmanuel Macron has denied involvement in the arrest of the CEO of Telegram in his country, with officials from the European Commission having also…
Telegram dismisses allegations following CEO’s arrest
Messaging service Telegram has issued a statement denouncing the arrest of its CEO Pavel Durov by French authorities for alleged failures in content moderation.
Slovak ministers slam presence of children at ‘erotic aid’ play
A "perverse" play performed at a Slovakian festival has prompted government uproar, with many senior officials expressing fury at children being present at the show.
EU will ban X if Musk does not implement censorship, top Liberal MEP claims
“If Elon Musk does not comply with European rules on digital services, the EU Commission will ask continental operators to block X or, in the most extreme case,…
EC denies involvement in Breton’s threats against Musk
"The timing and the wording of the letter were neither co-ordinated nor agreed with the EC President [Ursula von der Leyen] nor with the college of the Commission.