- The Trump administration circulated a draft UN declaration asking governments to stop punishing false speech, arguing it endangers free expression.
- European lawmakers saw the draft as a hostile act because it challenges the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), which mandates platforms to mitigate disinformation risks.
- The DSA imposes fines up to 6% of global revenue on platforms that inadequately address systemic risks like disinformation, leading to a chilling effect on speech.
- US officials claim the DSA creates a censorship regime without due process, while the EU defends it as a democratically enacted sovereign right.
- The draft declaration is nonbinding and does not override any laws, but its criticism of EU policy sparked diplomatic tensions.
- The irony highlighted is that a nonbinding declaration provoked outrage, while the binding DSA can effectively silence speakers through platform pressure.