Today we're discussing Europe's evolving "relationship" with press and free speech. It's bumpy, to say the least.

Our sources:

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:L_202401083

https://law.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/EU-Law-WP-114-Guo.pdf

https://judiciary.house.gov/media/press-releases/foreign-censorship-threat-how-european-unions-digital-services-act-compels

https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/disinformation-misinformation-and-democracy/afterword/00B79365656F1F0ABFBAFAEC1909CB5B

https://diem25.org/how-the-eu-is-using-anti-russia-sanctions-to-criminalise-journalism/

https://ppc.land/the-european-media-freedom-act-takes-effect-amid-surveillance-concerns/

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2025/772890/EPRS_BRI(2025)772890_EN.pdf

The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), intended to protect press freedom, paradoxically permits journalist arrests under vaguely defined "public interest" clauses, raising fears of increased state control. This apprehension is exacerbated by the Digital Services Act (DSA), which critics argue enables surveillance and censorship under the guise of combating disinformation. Reports indicate a deterioration of media independence in several EU member states, characterized by government interference, legal actions against journalists, and the use of spyware. These issues collectively portray a tension between the EU's stated democratic values and its evolving regulatory frameworks, sparking debate on the future of free expression and media integrity.

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