“Measure against censorship”SPD outraged by US plans to circumvent network blocks
According to insiders, the USA is developing an online portal that citizens can use to bypass network blocks in their country – including in Europe. The SPD sharply criticizes this as an infringement on European sovereignty.
The SPD’s digital policy spokesman, Johannes Schätzl, has criticized the US plans for an online portal to circumvent network blocks in European countries. “If the reports are confirmed, such an approach by the US administration would be extremely problematic,” said the SPD politician. “The deliberate circumvention of applicable European law by a foreign government would represent an unacceptable infringement on European sovereignty.”
According to insiders, the US government is developing an online portal called “freedom.gov” to enable citizens in Europe and elsewhere to bypass network blocks in their countries. The offer is also intended to allow access to content that has been classified and banned by the respective governments as hate speech or terrorist propaganda. Washington sees this as a “measure against censorship,” said three people familiar with the plans. The project, led by Sarah Rogers, Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy, was supposed to have been presented at the Munich Security Conference last week. However, the start was postponed.
According to the website, users will be able to disguise their origin using a VPN function and surf as if they were in the USA. Your activities would not be tracked. However, there are concerns within the State Department about the plan, it said. Ministry lawyers had warned against the plan, said two of the insiders. No details were given. The project could strain the already tense relations between the administration of US President Donald Trump and its European allies, as it would effectively encourage Washington to ignore existing laws.
“DSA is not a censorship instrument”
When asked, the State Department in Washington said the US did not have a specific program to circumvent censorship in Europe. It rejected claims that an announcement had been postponed. The fact that lawyers had raised concerns is incorrect in this form. The written statement continued: “However, digital freedom is a priority for the State Department, and that includes the proliferation of privacy-preserving and censorship-circumventing technologies such as VPNs.”
European laws apply in Europe, emphasized Schätzl. Questions of law enforcement and the balance between freedom of expression and other legal interests would be clarified by democratically legitimized institutions and independent courts, he added. “The Digital Services Act (DSA) is not a censorship instrument, but rather a constitutional regulatory framework for large platforms.” It creates transparency and clear duties of care – and strengthens freedom of expression. “Anyone who presents this approach as a restriction on freedom of expression is ignoring its actual purpose.” He expects the USA to accept applicable European law.
There are different understandings of freedom of expression in the USA and Europe. While the US Constitution protects almost all speech, European laws take stricter action against hate speech. U.S. officials have said that right-wing politicians are being repressed in Germany, France and Romania, among other countries. In addition, rules such as the EU’s Digital Services Act or the British Online Safety Act restrict freedom of expression. In 2024, Germany issued a total of 482 orders to delete material that was classified as supporting or inciting terrorism. Internet providers then had to remove 16,771 pieces of content.
