Direct Government Censorship Of The Internet Is Here

Authored by Michael Snyder via The Economic Collapse blog,

Censorship of the Internet has been getting worse for years, however we simply crossed a threshold which goes to take issues to a complete new degree. 

On August twenty fifth, a brand new regulation often known as the “Digital Services Act” went into impact within the European Union.  Under this new regulation, European bureaucrats will be capable to order large tech firms to censor any content material that’s thought of to be “illegal”, “disinformation” or “hate speech”.  That consists of content material that’s posted by customers exterior of the European Union, as a result of somebody that lives within the European Union may see it.  I wrote about this a few days ago, however I don’t assume that persons are actually understanding the implications of this new regulation.  In the previous, there have been instances when governments have requested that large tech firms take down sure materials, however now this new regulation will give authorities officers the ability to pressure large tech firms to take down any content material that they don’t like. 

Any large tech firms that select to not comply shall be hit with extraordinarily harsh penalties.

Of course mainstream information retailers resembling the Washington Post are trying to place a constructive spin on this new regulation.  We are being instructed that it’ll “safeguard” us from “illegal content” and “disinformation”…

New guidelines meant to safeguard individuals from unlawful content material, focused advertisements, undesirable algorithmic feeds and disinformation on-line are lastly in pressure, because of new regulation within the European Union that took impact this month.

Doesn’t that sound great?

When this new regulation was first authorised, NPR admitted that it’ll allow European governments to “take down a wide range of content”…

Under the EU regulation, governments would be capable to ask firms take down a variety of content material that may be deemed unlawful, together with materials that promotes terrorism, little one sexual abuse, hate speech and industrial scams.

In addition to “illegal content” and “hate speech”, the Digital Services Act additionally applies to “hoaxes” and any materials that’s thought of to be “disinformation”.  The following comes from the official website of the European Commission…

At the identical time, the DSA regulates very massive on-line platforms’ and really massive on-line engines like google tasks in the case of systemic points resembling disinformation, hoaxes and manipulation throughout pandemics, harms to susceptible teams and different rising societal harms.

These new content material guidelines are so imprecise that they might apply to absolutely anything.

And that’s exactly what they need.

From this level ahead, if you happen to put up one thing that they don’t like, they’ll have the ability to have it taken down.

Even if you happen to don’t dwell within the European Union, they’ll have your content material taken down, as a result of somebody within the European Union may see it.

So who shall be doing the censoring?

Well, it’s being reported that “hundreds of unelected EU bureaucrats will decide what constitutes disinformation and instruct Big Tech firms to censor it”…

Under this Orwellian regime, a workforce of lots of of unelected EU bureaucrats will determine what constitutes disinformation and instruct Big Tech companies to censor it. The companies themselves, confronted with reputational threat and monetary penalties, could have little alternative apart from to conform. This will be achieved in all method of how: just by human moderators eradicating content material, by shadow-banning problematic creators to scale back their attain, by demonetising sure content material, and by tweaking algorithms to favour or disfavour sure matters. And although, legally talking, the DSA solely applies within the EU, as soon as put in inside Big Tech companies, this huge content-regulation equipment will certainly have an effect on customers in the remainder of the world, too.

In addition, the official web site of the European Commission is telling us that large tech firms should “react with priority” to any content material that has been reported by “trusted flaggers”…

A precedence channel shall be created for trusted flaggers – entities which have demonstrated explicit experience and competence – to report unlawful content material to which platforms should react with precedence.

This implies that far left organizations which were set as much as police content material on-line will now be given extraordinary energy to limit speech on the Internet.

Needless to say, the Internet isn’t going to be the identical after this.

Initially, this new regulation will apply to 19 very large online platforms…

The on-line platforms affected are Alibaba AliExpress, Amazon Store, Apple AppStore, Booking.com, Facebook, Google Play, Google Maps, Google Shopping, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, X (listed as Twitter), Wikipedia, YouTube, the European clothes retailer Zalando, Bing and Google Search.

If any of these massive on-line platforms select to not adjust to the brand new regulation, the penalties may very well be extremely severe…

A agency that doesn’t adjust to the regulation might face an entire ban in Europe or fines operating as much as 6% of its world income.

Last month, X/Twitter stated it was on observe to generate $3bn (£2.4bn) in income. A tremendous of 6% can be the equal of £144m.

Once we get to February twenty fourth, 2024, the Digital Services Act can even apply to an unlimited multitude of smaller platforms.

At that time, it is going to be very tough to flee the attain of this new regulation.

And simply to guarantee that they’ll hold a really shut eye on issues, the EU simply established a model new workplace in San Francisco on June 22nd…

European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton minimize the ribbon to commemorate the official launch of the European Union’s San Francisco workplace on Thursday, June 22, alongside Lieutenant Governor of California Eleni Kounalakis, California State Senator Scott Wiener, and Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs Adrian Vazquez.

“I am very glad to be here today in Silicon Valley, a global centre for digital technology and innovation, to officially inaugurate the new European Union office in San Francisco,” Commissioner Breton stated in his keynote tackle to an viewers of enterprise and expertise sector leaders. “As like-minded partners who strive for reciprocity and common principles, all while respecting our respective democratic processes, our transatlantic ties are more relevant than ever in the area of technology.”

For a few years, the Internet was one of many final bastions at no cost speech.

But now all the things has modified.

From this level ahead, far left European bureaucrats will get to find out what is suitable and what’s not acceptable on our massive on-line platforms.

Direct authorities censorship of the Internet is right here, and that’s going to make it way more tough to share the truth with a world that desperately wants it.

These are such darkish instances, and they’re getting darker with every passing day.

*  *  *

Michael’s new guide entitled “End Times” is now accessible in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you’ll try his new Substack publication right here.