MEPs call for EU ban on ‘positive discrimination’ after US ruling
MEPs have called for bans on "positive discrimination" within the European Union after the US Supreme Court ruled the practice illegal last month.
Free speech
Latest reporting and analysis on free speech.
European journalists fear EU Council may ‘undermine media protection’
Europe’s largest organisation representing journalists fears a European Union directive on media protection could be undermined by the Council of Ministers.
EU proclaims ‘values’ but neglects ‘freedom of religion, speech and assembly’: ADF International’s Paul Coleman
Paul Coleman serves as executive director of ADF International (Alliance Defending Freedom) from its headquarters in Vienna, Austria.
UN targets Sweden over Quran burnings
The United Nations Human Rights Council has approved a Pakistan-led resolution “against religious hatred” targeting Sweden.
EU will have power to cut off social media during public unrest: Breton
European officials will have the ability to completely cut off European Union citizens from certain social media platforms during times of unrest, Internal Markets…
Ireland mulls pushing EU nations to recognise Palestine
Ireland's Government is considering a push to get European Union Member States to recognise Palestine and may even “go solo” over the issue.
Sweden: rise in requests to burn holy texts
After contentious protests in Sweden, where copies of the Islamic religious text the Quran were set on fire, three new applications have apparently been lodged with…
Ireland to delay talks on proposed hate-speech law
The Irish Government will postpone discussions over the country’s proposed legislation on hate speech.
French Senate discusses tightening censorship laws after riots
France's Senate considered giving police new powers to make social media firms remove content within two hours, after widespread rioting gripped the country.
Violence spreads across France after teenager shot by police in Paris
Violent riots erupted in Paris and other cities across France on the night of June 27 following the shooting of a North African teenager by a policeman in the French…
Peaceful prayer cannot be banned outside abortion centres, rules top German court
Germany’s Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig has ruled that blanket bans on peaceful prayer groups outside abortion centres are not permissible.
Elon Musk, George Orwell, and the abuse of language: what the tech billionaire can learn about the cisgender wars from the novelist’s essay
On June 21 Elon Musk tweeted that the words cis and cisgender “are considered slurs on this platform”.
EU leaders accused of putting media freedom at risk
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) claims European leaders are putting journalists ‘at risk’ through their apparent willingness to allow the deployment…
No more news on Facebook and Instagram for Canadians
US billionaire Mark Zuckerberg's Meta Platforms, the mother company of social media giants Facebook and Instagram, is set to cut off access to news for all users…
Twitter boss Musk folds on free speech in India, claiming he has ‘no choice’
US billionaire and Twitter owner, Elon Musk, seems less of a free-speech advocate than he would like the world’s public to think.
Prince Harry, Sebastian Vettel, Greta Thunberg – practice what you preach before lecturing the rest of us
You cannot go far these days in Europe, indeed throughout the West, without being harangued by some celebrity about climate change or social justice.
Swedish police wrong to ban Quran burning, judges rule
Swedish police were wrong to ban two gatherings earlier this year during which protesters intended to burn the Quran, an appeals court has ruled.
EU’s Breton threatens Instagram owner with sanctions after damning article on child porn
Paedophiles have been given free rein on Instagram, it has been revealed. Horrified European Union officials are demanding action.
Brussels bar covers up ‘sexist’ wall illustration
An “offensive” cartoon on the wall of a bar in Brussels has been covered with a large canvas sheet by the pub’s new owners who regard it as “sexist” and…
Does Twitter under Musk really believe in free speech?
Twitter has sparked a furore by restricting the launch of the controversial transgender documentary What is a Woman?
Brussels threatens Twitter ban
Europe’s political big guns have Twitter in their sights, threatening to torpedo the social media giant if it refuses to follow European rules.
Belgian government secures release of aid worker in Iran ‘in exchange for convicted terrorist’
Belgian humanitarian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele is returning to his home country after an “excruciating” jail spell in Iran where he was subjected to “inhumane…
‘Funny cartoons’ screening lands Belgian pub owner with six-month prison sentence
Two people have been jailed in Belgium for screening what they described as “funny cartoons that you can find everywhere on the internet”, adding the images…
Belarus pardons activist famously arrested on Ryanair flight
Roman Protasevich, a dissident journalist, has been pardoned by the Belarusian authorities, reports the state-run Belta News.
Euro MPs clash with Polish education minister during investigation of ‘academic freedom’
Euro MPs on a visit to Warsaw accused Poland’s education minister Przemysław Czarnek of behaving in a “brutal and aggressive” manner towards them, according…
Elon Musk backlash over Twitter content block in Turkey
Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur who declared himself a staunch advocate of free speech, has found himself facing a barrage of criticism for censoring his…
Female MEPs angry about ‘hate speech’ in Parliament debate on women’s rights
Three Euro MPs have been accused of using hate speech by female colleagues.
Free speech has its limits, says Brussels Commissioner
The European Commission has to protect freedom of speech—by limiting it, according to the Commissioner responsible for media freedom and fundamental rights.