Do Tell: The EU’s ‘Democracy Shield’ Is Really a Censorship Operating System

Free-speech advocates have warned for months that the Commission’s ‘Democracy Shield’ is less about defending democracy than defending Brussels itself.

Now, a wide-ranging report drawing on 25 official EU documents and other related sources has confirmed that the initiative is, in fact, a “censorship operating system designed to protect the Commission from the electorate.”

The new paper, authored by Dr. Norman Lewis—who has previously written on the ‘Democracy Shield’ for Europeanconservative.com—for MCC Brussels, says its “ultimate aim” is to “shield the unelected European Commission from domestic dissent and political accountability under the guise of fighting foreign interference.” In particular, by censoring anti-Brussels online content and promoting a more pro-establishment narrative.

So much for Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s claim the ‘Shield’ “will protect and reinforce free speech, independent media, resilient institutions and a vibrant civil society.”