New UK Online Safety Act triggers digital content restrictions
The day after the UK’s Online Safety Act came into force, protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers were effectively erased from public view for youngsters…
Free speech
Latest reporting and analysis on free speech.
Court rules German comedian’s tweets mocking assassination attempt on Trump ‘unpunishable satire’
The Berlin District Court has ruled that a social media post by comedian Sebastian Hotz about the assassination attempt on US President Donald Trump constituted…
‘AFP reporters face starvation’ in Gaza, warns journalists association
The Agence France Presse (AFP) association of journalists (SDJ) said reporters posted in Gaza working for the news agency were facing starvation due to food shortages…
Czech President signs law criminalising Communist propaganda
Czech President Petr Pavel signed a landmark amendment to the Criminal Code, criminalising the promotion of communist ideology, placing it on par with Nazi propaganda.
As the bodies of dead babies are dug up, innocent nuns are vilified
This week, the largest excavation of a burial site in Irish history began in Tuam, County Galway.
Member states inch closer to social media age-limit for minors
Italy, France, Denmark, Spain and Greece said they would pilot an online age verification app prototype developed by the European Commission, making it easier for…
German comedian to stand trial over online comments on Trump assassination attempt
Sebastian Hotz, a German comedian performing under the stage name “El Hotzo”, has to stand trial for a series of comments he made on social media after the assassination…
French first lady appeals in gender rumours case: lawyer
France's first lady has taken her case against two women over claims she used to be a man to the highest appeals court after a lower court let them off, her lawyer…
French appeals court clears two over first lady gender rumours
A French appeals court Thursday overturned convictions against two women accused of libel against French First Lady Brigitte Macron, after they spread false claims…
German court slaps down library ‘warning labels’ on ‘controversial books’
Germany’s Higher Administrative Court in Münster has ruled that the city library must remove politically charged warning labels from two controversial books.
Thank you, Elon: Conservatives owe Musk a lot
Elon Musk’s clash with Donald Trump has shaken conservatives. Yet, his defence of liberty and tradition remains unmatched.
French Socialist Party members denounce the term ‘Islamophobia’
Members of the French Socialist Party have revolted against use of the word "Islamophobia" in its formal documents because, they said, it "validates the theses of…
US lawmakers: ‘EC weaponising digital rules to muzzle US interests’
US lawmakers have accused the European Commission of weaponising its “regulatory regime” to “silence American speech” online.
German daycare centre bans kids from playing Indians
Children at the Fischbank daycare centre in Rostock on Germany's north coast were banned from playing as Indians due to so-called cultural sensitivities.
Patriots MEP’s office vandalised by ‘ultra-left’
Anne-Sophie Frigout, MEP for the French right-wing Patriots for Europe party, had had her office in Reims vandalised.
Want to exercise freedom of speech? Not when European lawfare cuts your throat
It’s no secret that Europe has a serious problem with free speech.
Politician behind Italian city’s cyberbullying initiatives exposed as Facebook bully
A councillor in northern Italy's city of Lecco resigned after she was revealed as the author of anonymous, abusive comments aimed at a resident who criticised the…
Free speech or incitement? Glastonbury punk and rap acts ignite political firestorm
Punk duo Bob Vylan and rap group Kneecap’s sets at the 2025 Glastonbury Festival have triggered criminal probes and a revoked US visa, amid accusations of hate…
German court fines woman for picture of left-wing politician with extended right arm
A woman in Bavaria has been fined €2,025 for her poster showing former health minister Karl Lauterbach extending his right arm, insinuating he was performing a…
Litmus test for Christian views? Finland’s top court to hear MP Räsänen free speech case
Finland’s Supreme Court is preparing to hold an oral hearing in the high-profile free speech case of former Interior Minister and Christian Democrat MP Päivi…
German police launch mass raids on suspected ‘criminal post’ writers
Police in Germany have executed more than 170 operations targeting people they referred to as "digital arsonists".
German court overturns ban on ‘far-right magazine Compact’
A German court on June 24 overturned a ban on the "far-right Compact magazine", which had been imposed by the government last year.
German literature forum cancels author over article for ‘right-wing’ news site
A non-profit organisation in Berlin has erased the recording of a young German author’s reading from its website, after he casually revealed he had written an…
US rapper Kanye West faces backlash ahead of Slovakia show due to ‘Hitler’ song
Grammy-winning US rapper Kanye West was facing growing opposition in Slovakia ahead of his scheduled performance at the Rubicon Festival in the capital Bratislava…
German who ‘insulted’ ex-minister fined for social media posts
Stefan Niehoff, 64, whose home was raided last November after he reposted an “insulting” meme on X, has been found guilty on “speech crime” charges and fined…
St John of Patmos saw it coming: EU digital identity will know everything
In Patmos, where the Evangelist John foresaw a “mark” controlling trade, a shopkeeper scans her phone to pay taxes.
Council of Europe human rights chief warns ‘free speech under threat’ in Germany
Council of Europe Commissioner on Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty has expressed concern about limits on free speech and peaceful assembly in Germany.
Austria mulls mandatory social media age checks following school shootings
The Austrian Government has proposed measures to tighten online freedom and access to social media.
US mulls visa restrictions on European officials for ‘censoring speech’
US Department of State officials have warned Irish regulators that if they censor speech, they could face visa restrictions.
Budapest Mayor aims to hold Pride parade, despite police ban
Gergely Karácsony, the Greens Mayor of Budapest, said he wanted to host the Pride parade in his city, despite a police ban and objections from the national government.