Michael Shellenberger drops major clarity on the €140M fine against X

Michael Shellenberger drops major clarity on the €140M fine against X

The Public News founder told Fox Business this morning that the record-breaking penalty under the Digital Services Act isn’t really about “transparency” — it’s the first large-scale use of what he calls “censorship by proxy”: governments funding selected researchers and NGOs to flag content, then threatening platforms with massive fines if they don’t remove it.

He says the timing isn’t random. For the first time, Europeans are openly seeing and discussing the real-world impacts of certain policies (especially mass migration) on X — something heavily restricted on legacy platforms. Shellenberger predicts strong U.S. pushback, noting the new administration has already signaled that free speech will be a litmus test for alliances.

Full 3:48 interview is eye-opening — well worth the watch.

What’s your take: necessary regulation to protect users, or an escalation against open conversation?

Respectful views welcome below.

Michael Shellenberger drops major clarity on the €140M fine against X

The Public News founder told Fox Business this morning that the record-breaking penalty under the Digital Services Act isn’t really about “transparency” — it’s the first large-scale use of what he calls… pic.twitter.com/JHQC32Jlyq

— Camus (@newstart_2024)December 6, 2025