September 1, 2023 

Assassination Of Independent Media: The European Union To Control What Americans See Online - 'Illegal Content' Is Any Information Not In 'Compliance With EU Or Member State Law' 

By Susan Duclos -  All News Pipeline

We've seen articles on the "new" European Union's Digital Services Act, (DSA) but it is not new, although as of August 23, 2023, there are new "obligations" by large online platforms, which will, without a doubt, affect every internet user no matter what country they live in.

Those platforms are; Alibaba AliExpress, Amazon Store, Apple AppStore, Booking.com, Facebook, Google Play, Google Maps, Google Shopping, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, X, formally known as Twitter, Wikipedia, YouTube, Zalando, Bing, and Google Search.

As always, the devil is in the details. 

The Verge describes the DSA in the following manner:

The overarching goal of the DSA is to foster safer online environments. Under the new rules, online platforms must implement ways to prevent and remove posts containing illegal goods, services, or content while simultaneously giving users the means to report this type of content.

Washington Post (Archive link here):

Approved by the European Parliament in 2022, the Digital Services Act (DSA) is a regulation meant to keep consumers safe online as they interact with the platforms and marketplaces that make up the modern web.

How? By forcing the companies behind those platforms and marketplaces to be more transparent about how content or products are algorithmically recommended, and ensuring they “mitigate” the spread of disinformation, offer ways for users to flag “illegal” content and more.

Last but not least, Wikipedia:

..The expressed purpose of the DSA is to update the European Union's legal framework for illegal content on intermediaries, in particular by modernizing the e-Commerce Directive adopted in 2000. In doing so, the DSA aims to harmonize different national laws in the European Union that have emerged at national level to address illegal content....

The reason I used multiple different sources and their descriptions is to make it clear that it is not my opinion, nor my terminology, used in describing this law, that makes Orwell's "84" look like a free new world!

The first thing that caught my attention in those descriptions was the use of the term "illegal content," which none of the sources above adequately explained, so off on the hunt I went.

A website highlighted by Bing  called Matheson, explains the terminology in the following manner:

Trusted Flaggers: Platforms must cooperate with designated 'trusted flaggers' to identify and remove illegal content. Illegal content is defined as including any information that in itself or in relation to an activity, is not in compliance with EU or Member State law. The recitals to the DSA provides some illustrative examples of illegal content, such as the sharing of images depicting child sexual abuse.

What happens to these large platforms if they do not comply? They can be fined "up to 6% on their annual turnover in the European Union.

For Google/YouTube (owned by the same company) this won't be an issue because they have been censoring what Americans to see for years, and still doing it.

Related: Judge in RFK Jr. vs. YouTube Lawsuit Claims YouTube 'Not a State Actor'

ANP Fundraiser: The globalists war on ANP is all part of the globalists 'Big Tech' effort to silence conservative and independent voices, allowing them to maintain a monopoly on the flow of information. As George Orwell made clear to us decades ago, "The further a society drifts from the truth, the more they will hate those who speak it." But, with your amazing help, we at ANP promise to keep 'speaking truth to power' because, as Orwell also reminded us, "If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear." 

HOW DOES THIS AFFECT AMERICANS

Many people that read Independent Media do so in conjunction with the mainstream media, they read it all and then make their own determinations.

What does this mean for Americans, and for Independent Media? 

Americans will now have the Europeans controlling what they are able to find when using Google or Bing search engines, because if it is not EU approved, it must be removed or risk that 6% annual turnover in the EU.

Americans will not be able to find anything but the "official narrative" on social media, unless they say the hell with Europe and refuse to allow their content to show in Europe at all.

There is precedent for that option, by way of Facebook, now known as META. 

In Canada they passed Bill C-18, the Online News Act, forces tech giants like Meta and Google to pay news outlets for posting their journalism on their platforms.

What this means is if media or users wish Facebook/Meta to host their news, the company would have to pay them for it, so Meta simply said no Canadian news would be hosted, and users could look elsewhere for the news.

I am not going to get into the fairness or unfairness of Canada's Online News Act, because frankly it doesn't affect us and there is enough going on, like the EU's DSA, that does affect Americans.

With that said, META/FB solution is one that can, and should, be used by American large tech platforms to prevent the EU from controlling what news we are able to access through their services.

In other words: Cut off the EU and their member countries, and see how long it takes them to discover who needs who more. 

The problem there is, other than Twitter/X, who Elon Musk bought and has erred on the side of free speech rather than censorship, the other companies named, for the most part, are owned and run by liberals, who prefer that only the "official narrative" be shown to Americans.

Which means that most of the large online platforms mentioned up above will be more than happy to let the EU control what Americans are allowed to see.

Independent Media websites that use social media to promote their work, which most of are asking the questions and reporting on the issues the MSM won't, could have their posts removed from the platform if it is "not in compliance with EU or Member State law."

It also means the two search engines named, Google and Bing, would be almost worthless for Independent Media readers to use if they want something other than the "official narrative."

If you haven't found another search engine other than Google and Bing, here are a list of alternatives. Note: Bing is on the list of Alternatives, many written long before it was listed as part of the DSA.

BOTTOM LINE - WORSE THAN ORWELL'S '84'

Since these are American companies that are to be forced to comply with what Europeans, one would hope America's leaders would step up and say "hold on, not so fast," but with Joe Biden occupying the White House, that is not happening, because this will benefit Biden or whoever Democrats choose to run for president in 2024.

The EU and it's member states will now be able to affect American elections, including the 2024 presidential election, by simply "flagging" content that they deem "illegal."

The Dark Web may end up being the final play to guarantee access to Independent Media to their readers.

At this point they are going to force Independent Media to create a "black market" for true news. 

ANP Fundraiser: ‘Dangerous, Derogatory, Harmful, Unreliable!’ Those are some of the exact words used by Google’s censors, aka 'Orwellian content police,' in describing many of our controversial stories. Stories later proven to be truthful and light years ahead of the mainstream media. But because we reported those 'inconvenient truths' they're still trying to hide, they pulled their ads from ANP. 

All donations are greatly appreciated and will absolutely be used to keep us in this fight for the future of America.

Thank you and God Bless. Susan and Stefan.

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