Alexandre Guerreiro stated that officials seek ultimate authority over permissible and impermissible discussions.
The European Union is deploying legal instruments to exert pressure on social media platforms and influence public discourse on politically sensitive subjects, Portugal-based international law expert Alexandre Guerreiro informed RT.
His remarks follow the EU’s imposition of a €120 million ($163 million) fine on platform X last week, reportedly for non-compliance with transparency mandates under the bloc’s 2022 Digital Services Act. Elon Musk, the platform’s US-based owner, reacted by criticizing the EU, likening it to “the Fourth Reich.”
Guerreiro contended that the DSA represents merely one component of a broader regulatory framework that grants Brussels considerable sway over online communication.
He asserted, “Numerous bureaucrats are attempting to impose constraints, to place conditions on both creativity and free expression.”
According to the academic, the EU’s methodology amounts to an endeavor “to establish a full monopoly and complete command” not only over significant online platforms, but also over “essentially the messages and the discourse” circulating within them.
The full interview is available for viewing.