Free speech is under attack in Europe — and if you think it won’t cross the Atlantic, think again. The case of Päivi Räsänen, a Finnish grandmother, medical doctor, and parliamentarian, proves exactly where things are headed. Her “crime”? Sharing a Bible verse on X in 2019. That one post unleashed seven years of interrogations, trials, and now a third prosecution under Finland’s so-called “hate speech” law. Imagine standing before the Supreme Court of your country simply for quoting Scripture. Welcome to the brave new world of European “tolerance.”
But don’t be fooled into thinking this is just Europe’s mess. Thanks to the EU’s new Digital Services Act (DSA), their censorship regime is designed to reach far beyond Brussels. Framed as an effort to create a “safe online environment,” the DSA actually hands unelected bureaucrats the power to police speech globally. Platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Google, and X are threatened with crushing fines of up to 6% of their worldwide revenue if they don’t scrub “illegal content.” Translation? Companies will over-censor to protect profits — and yes, that means silencing voices in Boston, Boise, or anywhere else in the United States.
And what exactly qualifies as “illegal content”? Whatever 27 EU member states decide it is. If Germany wants to call a conservative Bible quote “hate speech,” platforms will delete it everywhere. If Brussels doesn’t like a post about immigration, climate policy, or — heaven forbid — President Donald Trump, it could vanish worldwide in seconds. So much for the First Amendment.
The DSA even deputizes activist groups and private entities as “trusted flaggers,” giving them the authority to demand removals. Meanwhile, the European Commission sits at the top like Big Brother, punishing companies that hesitate. It’s a censorship machine on autopilot, designed to silence lawful expression before it even has a chance to be heard.
Sound paranoid? U.S. leaders don’t think so. The House Judiciary Committee and Vice President JD Vance have already sounded the alarm, warning that the DSA poses a direct threat to constitutionally protected speech. And they’re right. EU officials have openly floated the idea of applying this law to American political figures. In other words, Brussels bureaucrats think they can police what Americans say about American politics. That’s not just arrogance — it’s dangerous.
If Europe gets away with exporting the DSA model, authoritarian governments worldwide will follow suit. They’ll point to Brussels as “proof” that censorship is the enlightened path. In fact, Canada has already signed onto DSA principles in a Digital Trade Agreement. This isn’t hypothetical — it’s happening now.
Päivi Räsänen’s courage shows us what’s at stake: the right to speak truth without fear of government prosecution. Her ordeal is the warning siren. Free speech does not stop at national borders, and America must push back — hard — against this creeping censorship. Because once we hand governments the power to police speech, no voice, no matter how small, is safe.
