Welcome First Amendment
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
By Dylan Xie Feb 15, 2026
When the European Union (EU) recently switched from adoption to enforcement of their new Digital Services Act (DSA) on Dec. 5, 2025, it marked one of the largest escalations over control, truth and speech on the internet. This is yet another intrusion from the EU on American social media, censoring what they consider disinformation and encroaching on First Amendment rights in the process.
The new DSA act grants the EU powers to regulate any content they deem harmful on the biggest social media apps including Google, Meta and X, forcing them to play by their rules or face huge financial penalties of up to 6% of their yearly GDP. Although the EU intends to censor illegal content, which it broadly defines as anything that is not in compliance with EU law, it essentially silences everything that they deem as “hate speech” or “disinformation” and widely restricts what can be shared online. Platforms should have the freedom to decide what is considered appropriate and define for their users what is considered “disinformation.”
“The EU should not have complete control over the platforms but should establish regulations that make sure users who post satire or other misinformation as a joke have to label themselves as such,” Senior Satvik Konduru said.
Freedom of speech relies on open debate and not enforced agreement. Once authorities get to decide top down what counts as appropriate content, their moderation policies become similar to authoritarian censorship. Insensitivity to such suppressions is dangerous as the public can begin to forget their rights of expression, especially when it comes to their rights to express controversial opinions or criticize those in power. The intensity of EU regulations can force global companies to adapt to their policies despite less restrictive regulations from other countries they operate in—a phenomenon known as the Brussels Effect.
“Misinformation is always gonna be there no matter what you do, as it is easy to sensationalize topics for attention regardless of its factuality. Governments should not spend an excessive amount of time and energy to control the spread of false information, as it will likely be impossible,” Sophomore Parsa Nahkoob said.
Although the EU’s DSA may have good intentions, it sets a dangerous precedent for the future. Interconnected digital spaces cannot survive if foreign governments are allowed to regulate content they deem as harmful or illegal, potentially manipulating people’s minds and thoughts. Misinformation is a huge issue especially in this day and age when digital screens have become a vital part of one’s life, but restricting freedom of expression is an even bigger problem despite how uncomfortable it may seem.
About the Contributors
Dylan Xie
Staff Writer
Dylan Xie is a sophomore at Leland High School and a staff writer for The Charger Account. In his spare time, he likes to play soccer, work out, and hang out with friends.
Kira Yoshioka-Gutierrez
Artist
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