Free-speech advocates have warned for months that the Commission’s ‘Democracy Shield’ is less about defending democracy than defending Brussels itself. Now, a wide-ranging report drawing on 25 official EU documents and other related sources has confirmed that the initiative is, in fact, a “censorship operating system designed to protect the Commission from the electorate.” The ultimate aim of the Democracy Shield is to “shield” the unelected European Commission from domestic dissent and political accountability under the guise of fighting foreign interference.” In particular, by censoring anti-Brussels online content and promoting a more pro-establishment narrative.
