February 5, 2025
Will the Global Elites’ War on Free Speech Succeed?
By
Susan Lawson
The World Economic Forum (WEF), the self-anointed vanguard of the global elite, reconvened late in January in Davos, Switzerland. The agenda this year looked at the increasingly thorny question of free speech. The
rhetoric soared to new heights after German chancellor Olaf Scholz said during a panel discussion, “Freedom of expression has its limits, especially when it’s right-wing.”
Scholz took a jab at the role of X (previously Twitter) in amplifying some controversial voices. His remark was a direct shot at Elon Musk, the self-proclaimed free-speech absolutist and owner of X, who has become a lightning rod for unwinding content moderation policies.
Scholz’s comment attracted intense blowback from free speech advocates, who contend that so-called anti-extremism rhetoric like his paves the way to censorship. In Germany, whose already stringent hate speech laws include the
Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz (
NetzDG), this position is viewed as an escalation of efforts to quell dissent. His statement is a perfect example of Europe’s hardwiring of orthodoxy on speech.
Under Scholz’s watch, Germany has broadened the scope of the NetzDG, a 2017 law that forces social media platforms to take down “illegal” content within 24 hours or face heavy fines. Officially styled as an instrument of combating hate speech, NetzDG has nonetheless strangled public discourse on migration, crime, and cultural integration.