The U.S. State Department is reportedly working on an online portal that would allow people in Europe and other regions to access content banned by their governments. The move comes at a time when conservative figures like Elon Musk and J.D. Vance have railed against European attempts to clamp down on hate speech, terrorist propaganda, and revenge porn.
Reuters reported Wednesday, citing unnamed sources, that the initiative is intended to fight censorship and could include a virtual private network (VPN) feature.
The portal would reportedly be hosted at Freedom.gov. The site currently displays a landing page featuring a small animation of Paul Revere on horseback above the words “Freedom is Coming.” Smaller text below reads, “Information is power. Reclaim your human right to free expression. Get Ready.”
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Reuters reported that the portal was expected to launch at the conference, but was delayed.
“We don’t comment on draft laws, and that’s what it is,” European Commission Spokesperson Thomas Regnier said when asked about the portal during a press briefing today. “Let me say that the Commission does not block access to websites. It’s up to national authorities to do this kind of thing. If a website breaches EU law or international law, talking about sites which promote hate speech, for example, or have terrorist content, obviously that does not belong in Europe. That’s why we have a regulation on digital services, the DSA, which protects freedom of expression.”
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Ironically, The Guardian reported today that DOGE cuts to the State Department and U.S. Agency for Global Media’s Internet Freedom program have effectively gutted the program.
The initiative funded grassroots tools to help people bypass government internet controls worldwide. It distributed over $500 million over the past decade but issued no funding in 2025, according to The Guardian.
Source: The US Is Working on a Site to Help Europeans Bypass Content Bans on Hate Speech: Report
Robin Edgar
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