Jim Jordan Accuses Europe of Attempting to Influence 2024 US Election via Censorship

EU's Digital Laws and US Speech Concerns

• 🇪🇺 A letter from Terry Bratton, EU enforcer for the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Marketing Act (DMA), to Elon Musk is highlighted as evidence of Europe attempting to influence American elections.
• ✉️ Bratton's letter, sent in the context of a planned live conversation on X (formerly Twitter) involving a US presidential candidate, expressed concern about "illegal content" and "disinformation."
• ⚠️ The letter concluded with a threat of vigilance and full use of the EU's "toolbox" if breaches of the DSA were found, occurring before the interview even took place.

Past US Government Censorship Investigations

• 🇺🇸 The House Judiciary Committee previously investigated the Biden administration's actions related to free expression, termed the "censorship industrial complex."
• 🏛️ This included the establishment and subsequent disbanding of a "disinformation governance board" by the Biden administration.
• 🗣️ Testimony from journalists and figures like Matt Taibbe, Michael Shelonburgger, Tulsi Gabbard, and RFK Jr. (all Democrats) was heard regarding censorship concerns.
• 📧 An email from the White House to Twitter on the third day of the Biden administration, requesting the removal of an RFK Jr. tweet, is cited as an example of government pressure.
• 🤝 Mark Zuckerberg's admission that the Biden administration pressured Meta (Facebook) to censor content is mentioned, along with Meta's subsequent policy changes.

EU and UK Regulations' Global Impact

• 🌐 European regulations like the DSA and the UK's Online Safety Act (OSA) are described as engines of global censorship, targeting political speech disfavored by European bureaucrats.
• 💻 These laws require social media platforms to moderate more content, and because companies apply global standards for cost and privacy reasons, European moderation rules affect content seen in the US.
• 📉 The regulations are seen as burdensome for US tech companies, potentially harming innovation and allowing less efficient foreign competitors, including those from China, to gain an advantage.
• 🗣️ While supporters claim these laws enhance child safety, the argument is made that they are primarily used to censor criticism of the government.

The Importance of Free Speech

• 🗽 The principle that "free speech is a core value of Western culture" is emphasized.
• 💬 The best response to bad, wrong, or even hate speech is argued to be "more speech," upholding the First Amendment.
• ⚖️ The committee intends to continue moving legislation to protect free speech from both domestic and foreign threats.