Legal expert warns Europe’s censorship law could muzzle American free speech

An expert in international free speech law cautioned US lawmakers this week that a recently implemented European Union (EU) censorship law could impact Americans' ability to speak freely online. 

Lorcán Price, an Irish barrister and legal counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, testified before the House Judiciary Committee that the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) may extend its reach far beyond Europe’s borders, potentially influencing how global tech platforms moderate content in the US.

Price's testimony, outlined in a Sept. 3 press release from ADF International, emphasized that the DSA’s framework — while framed as a safety measure — gives regulators significant authority over what remains online. 

“What is happening in Europe is, as Vice President JD Vance said in Munich, a ‘serious retreat from a fundamental value’ — free speech,” Price told members of the House Judiciary Committee. “It’s a sign that our European political elite has lost control of the narrative, and the Digital Services Act is part of a system of censorship in an increasing, desperate attempt to control narratives and suppress growing public discontent.”

The law, which came into full effect in mid-2025, imposes wide-ranging requirements on major tech companies operating within the EU. These include new obligations to monitor and remove content classified as “disinformation,” based on input from approved third parties and overseen by the European Commission. Platforms that fail to comply may face steep financial penalties, up to 6% of their global revenue.

Price expressed concern that this model of regulation could easily influence how speech is managed online elsewhere, including in the US, since many of the affected platforms operate globally. 

“Under the DSA, what happens in Europe won’t stay in Europe,” he warned. “The internet is global. If American policymakers don’t push back against the DSA model, the same speech restrictions now emerging in Europe will be imported here.”

The European Commission will review the DSA in November. According to Price, that review process remains largely opaque. ADF International, which has committed to challenging the law, is calling for either its repeal or major reform to safeguard fundamental rights online.

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