They Can Keep Greenland. Let Us Have Free Speech

In a new RealClearMarkets op-ed, Market Institute Senior Fellow Norm Singleton explains why the Trump Administration’s clash with the European Union over the Digital Services Act (DSA) is really a fight over free speech—especially for American users and companies.

Singleton writes that critics, including progressive advocacy groups, have framed the Administration’s actions as a pro–“big tech” campaign. But the real issue is whether foreign regulators can pressure U.S. platforms to censor lawful American speech.

“The DSA does not define information manipulation. Rather, it simply bans any online speech that is ‘incompatible with [European] Union law or with the law of any member state.’”

As Singleton notes, the law’s vague standards could lead platforms to suppress American speech to avoid liability in Europe. That would effectively export European censorship rules to the United States.

“The DSA could justify VLOPs restricting the speech of American internet users in order to avoid that speech being shared by EU citizens—and thus violating the DSA.”

Singleton argues that the Administration’s decision to target EU officials—rather than impose tariffs—keeps the dispute focused on the regulators responsible for the law, instead of harming American consumers and businesses.

The op-ed also highlights the importance of anonymous speech, which has played a central role in American political and civil-rights movements. Singleton points to the Supreme Court’s defense of associational privacy in NAACP v. Alabama as a reminder that protecting anonymity is often essential to protecting freedom.

“American consumers do not reasonably expect to be censored to appease a foreign power… consumers might not want to use a service that exposes them to censorship by foreign powers.”

Ultimately, Singleton concludes that the Administration’s pushback against the DSA is not about protecting tech giants, but about defending free speech against foreign censorship regimes. He suggests that pressure on the EU could encourage a course correction that respects open debate online.

The fight over the Digital Services Act, Singleton argues, is about more than trade disputes or regulatory policy—it is about whether American free-speech principles will survive in a global digital marketplace.

Read more at RealClearMarkets by clicking here.