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Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

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https://nordictimes.com/tech/brazil-bans-rumble-accused-of-political-censorship/

Tech

Brazil bans Rumble – accused of political censorship

The threat to freedom of speech

Published 5 March 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Alexandre de Moraes, a judge on Brazil’s Supreme Court, recently ordered the shutdown of the pro-free speech video platform Rumble in the country.

Rumble condemned the decision, saying it was retaliation for its refusal to censor Brazilian political dissidents abroad.

It is the latest in a series of Brazilian censorship campaigns against social media. The Nordic Times has previously reported on how Brazilian authorities – often with De Moraes at the forefront, shut down X and Telegram, among others – and introduced extensive censorship in connection with the 2022 elections.

Brazil’s Supreme Court, long accused of being deeply politicized, has justified previous shutdowns on the grounds that “hate speech” or “disinformation” is being spread on the platforms, accusing them of failing to comply with the country’s legislation. However, critics have argued that it is more a case of controlling what information citizens can access and preventing free debate.

This time it is Rumble that has been hit, with de Moraes claiming that the platform has refused to comply with previous court rulings and “repeatedly, consciously and willingly not complied, and is trying not to submit to Brazil’s legal order and judiciary”.

Among other things, Rumble allegedly ignored Brazilian demands to delete an account belonging to Allan dos Santos, a journalist and political refugee from Brazil who now resides in the United States and whom Brazilian authorities want extradited for alleged freedom of expression-related crimes.

“Unprecedented censorship”

De Moraes further argues that there is no evidence that Rumble has any regular representation on Brazilian territory – which is also a legal requirement, and that the platform should therefore not be accessible in the country.

In a statement, Rumble writes that it is facing “unprecedented censorship in Brazil” and that the judge’s action “comes in response to our refusal to censor political dissidents residing in the United States”.

“Justice de Moraes demanded that Rumble remove specific content and halt financial transactions related to individuals exercising their free speech rights under US law. Our commitment to free expression and adherence to US legal standards compelled us to reject these extraterritorial censorship demands”, the company clarifies.

Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Rumble was launched in 2013 as a freer alternative to YouTube and made a big impact during the coronavirus crisis. It says it is exploring all legal options to lift the shutdown.

Sued by Donald Trump’s media group

It should also be noted that US President Donald Trump’s media group Trump Media & Technology Group has filed a lawsuit against the Brazilian justice in a Florida court. He is accused of violating the constitutional right to free speech of the aforementioned Allan dos Santos.

“Allowing Justice Moraes to muzzle a vocal user on an American digital outlet would jeopardize our country’s bedrock commitment to open and robust debate”, the lawsuit states.

“Neither extraterritorial dictates nor judicial overreach from abroad can override the freedoms protected by the US Constitution and law”, it adds.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/analysis/when-did-dissenting-views-become-a-threat-to-the-nation/

Analysis

When did dissenting views become a threat to the nation?

The threat to freedom of speech

Jenny Piper

When a British nationalist is detained for over 24 hours and deported – without criminal charges – it says more about Sweden than about him. We like to talk about freedom of speech - but those who don't share the establishment's values are not welcome in Sweden.

Published 5 August 2025
– By Jenny Piper
To visit Ulf Kristersson's Sweden, it's not enough to have the right papers and documents - you must also have the "right" opinions.
2 minute read

I read in the media that British nationalist Mark Collett, labeled as a neo-Nazi by mass media and the Swedish anti-extremist organization Expo, was reportedly stopped at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport on Friday and denied entry to the country, despite there being no criminal suspicion.

Collett, who leads the British nationalist organization “Patriotic Alternative”, is described in media as a leading figure within far-right circles in Britain and was invited as a speaker to “Det fria Sveriges” (Free Sweden’s) summer festival in Töreboda, a town in central Sweden. However, Swedish police denied Collett entry to Sweden, and on his Telegram channel, Collett writes that he was told he posed a threat to public order, society’s structure, and the values on which Sweden and Europe are built.

According to his own account, he was detained at the airport for over 25 hours without access to either his luggage or passport, and without criminal suspicion or trial.

I had no idea who this person was, but after this macabre action by Swedish border police, I watched a British documentary about him and can only conclude that Sweden, as usual, overreacts and uses double standards when making decisions.

Collett and his party are nationalists who want their own people to be prioritized in society over immigrants, a development that has grown and escalated in pace with irresponsible migration policy, which in the long run affects their own citizens, who must pay the bill and step aside. Much like the development in Sweden, as well as other parts of Europe, where conservative/right-nationalist parties are growing as a consequence of mass migration to the EU and the accompanying increased crime and worsened conditions for their own people.

One doesn’t have to agree with this, but Mark Collett has the right to hold this opinion and run a political party with these values. This is not grounds for denying him entry to Sweden. And it also rhymes very poorly with the fact that we don’t stop either “returning” ISIS terrorists at the border or, for that matter, so-called Islamist hate preachers who regularly travel in and out of the country, to give some examples.

Moreover, we in Sweden are very good at beating our chests when it comes to freedom of speech and pointing fingers at other countries that engage in opinion suppression/opinion persecution, but apparently we are no better ourselves.

This is so absurd that words fail me. That a person who has committed no wrong should be denied entry to the country based on his values not being sufficiently politically correct.

Shameful, Sweden!

 

Jenny Piper

All Jenny Piper's articles can be found on her blog.

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/british-nationalist-leader-stopped-at-arlanda-alleged-to-threaten-swedish-values/

Sweden

British nationalist leader stopped at Arlanda – alleged to threaten Swedish values

The threat to freedom of speech

Published 5 August 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Collett was scheduled to speak at a summer party organized by the nationalist association Det Fria Sverige (Free Sweden) in Töreboda, a town in central Sweden.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

British nationalist Mark Collett, leader of the organization Patriotic Alternative, was detained by Swedish border police immediately upon arrival at Arlanda Airport near Stockholm on Friday – and subsequently deported.

He was an invited speaker at a summer festival organized by the nationalist association Det fria Sverige (Free Sweden) in Töreboda, central Sweden, but was stopped with the justification that he “poses a threat to public order, society’s structure and the values on which Sweden and Europe are built”.

According to Collett’s own account, he was held at the airport for over 25 hours, without access to luggage or passport, despite not being suspected of any crime.

“After being stranded for more than 25 hours at the airport, two police officers finally came and said it was time to leave. They escorted me to a gate and made sure I boarded a direct flight home”, he writes on Telegram.

He further notes that no EU country would dream of treating an illegal immigrant the way Swedish border police treated him – despite him entering the country completely legally.

The deportation is based on utlänningslagen (Chapter 8, sections 11-12), which gives authorities the right to deny entry to foreigners deemed to pose “a genuine, actual and sufficiently serious threat to a fundamental societal interest”. What this means in practice is very unclear and leaves extensive and arbitrary room for interpretation. Critics argue that the law is used to prevent regime critics and dissidents from entering the country, based on their opinions rather than actual criminality.

Ideologically driven border control

Collett has been a well-known figure in British nationalism for decades, with a clearly immigration-critical and ethno-nationalist agenda. However, it remains unclear how his views that non-European mass immigration is destructive and negative would constitute a threat to Swedish interests. According to critics, the case rather demonstrates ideologically driven border control, where political positions – not actions – determine who is allowed to enter.

There is no criminal investigation or inquiry against Collett, and no information suggests he was planning anything illegal. Yet his mere presence was deemed incompatible with Swedish values – an assessment that was apparently sufficient to detain him and carry out a deportation.

Instead of scrutinizing the border police’s legally questionable actions against regime critics, several Swedish establishment media outlets have seized the opportunity to attack Collett – who is described as, among other things, a dangerous “Nazi”, “white power leader” and “far-right extremist”.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/europe/german-police-raids-target-170-suspected-thought-criminals/

Europe

German police raids target 170 suspected thought criminals

The threat to freedom of speech

Published 26 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
10,732 hate-related cybercrimes were registered during 2024 - a 34 percent increase compared to 2023 and almost a fourfold increase since 2021.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Early morning on June 25, German police conducted over 170 house searches in a coordinated operation targeting individuals suspected of insulting government officials or expressing political views that violate current legislation.

The operation was led by the Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt) and marked the twelfth national operation against so-called politically motivated crimes of this nature.

The operation primarily targeted individuals who had published nationalist and immigration-critical content, but also individuals with links to alleged religious extremism and left-wing extremist movements.

According to reports, two-thirds of the suspects had made “far-right” statements. Several are also being investigated for violations of a paragraph in the German Criminal Code that prohibits insults against politicians – a law that has been increasingly applied in recent years.

Particularly politicians from The Green Party have, according to media reports, chosen to pursue legal action against individuals who have insulted them. The current legislation has resulted in fines for people who have called politicians “idiots” or published derogatory images.

“Digital arsonists”

The raids began at six o’clock in the morning, during which a large number of computers, mobile phones, and tablets were seized.

– Digital arsonists must not be able to hide behind their cell phones or computers, declared Herbert Reul (CDU), Interior Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, in a comment.

– Many people have forgotten the difference between hatred and opinion, but it’s so simple: If you don’t do it in the real world, it’s not appropriate to do it digitally. It’s time for more attitude, offline and online.

According to Germany’s Federal Police, a total of 10,732 crimes related to so-called hate posts online were registered during 2024 – an increase of about 34 percent compared to the previous year. Compared to 2021, the number has almost quadrupled.

Harsh criticism

German legislation regarding alleged hate propaganda and insults has long been subject to international criticism, and high-ranking U.S. politicians have repeatedly expressed concern about how these laws affect freedom of expression. U.S. Vice President JD Vance has called them stifling and claimed they limit the possibility of free opinion formation.

At the Munich Security Conference earlier this year, Vance suggested that U.S. support for NATO could be affected by how Germany handles freedom of speech issues.

– Insulting someone is not a crime, and criminalizing speech is going to put real strain on European-US relationships. This is Orwellian, and everyone in Europe and the US must reject this lunacy, he urged on another occasion when German repression against dissidents came to light.

German politicians have defended their legal practice, claiming that the legislation aims to counter harmful rhetoric while maintaining a balance between freedom of expression and protection against hate crimes.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/world/usa-condemns-german-police-raids-against-thought-criminals/

World

USA condemns German police raids against “thought criminals”

The threat to freedom of speech

Published 19 February 2025
– By Editorial Staff
JD Vance is highly critical of the way Germany treats dissidents.
3 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The US CBS recently reported on how German police are conducting searches and raids against citizens suspected of committing so-called free speech offenses on the internet – for example, by sharing allegedly racist jokes or satirical cartoons.

While German officials argue that the speech must be punished to protect German democracy, US Vice President JD Vance calls the action “Orwellian” and “lunacy” and calls on the West to distance itself from the repression.

In a report for the news program 60 Minutes, CBS journalists followed German police during a search in northwestern Germany.

– It’s 6:01 on a Tuesday morning, and we were with state police as they raided this apartment in Northwest Germany. Inside six armed officers searched a suspect’s home, then seized his laptop and cellphone, explains the show’s host Sharyn Alfonsi.

– Prosecutors allege that these electronic devices may have been used to commit a crime: posting a racist cartoon online, she continues.

Thousands of investigations

Unlike the United States, where the First Amendment to the Constitution protects citizens from arrest for “hate speech”, Germany has very strict laws against such speech. According to German prosecutors, there are currently as many as 16 specialized police teams monitoring “hate speech” on the internet, with around 3,500 investigations per year.

– In the last four years, my unit has received 750 convictions for speech offenses, prosecutor Frank-Michael Laue told the channel.

Prosecutor Dr. Matthäus Fink says many of those arrested for internet postings thought their posts were protected by freedom of speech.

– And we say: No, you have free speech aswell, but it also has its limits, he points out.

According to German prosecutors, citizens can be jailed for public insults – including against politicians – spreading slander as well as threats of violence, false quotes or sharing “lies” online. However, in most cases, offenders are fined and often have their electronic devices confiscated.

– Comments like ‘you’re a fucking pig’, such words have nothing to do with a political discussion or a contribution to the debate, Fink argues.

“The threat comes from within”

The authorities also have access to special software to track anonymous users who violate opinion laws, as well as government databases to identify them.

The report on Germany’s censorship came days after US Vice President JD Vance criticized European countries, including Germany, for abandoning free speech.

– The threat that I worry the most about vis-a-vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s not any other external actor. What I worry about is the threat from within. The retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values: values shared with the United States of America, said Vance during the Munich Security Conference last week.

Vance also criticized the German political establishment for isolating the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which according to opinion polls is the country’s second largest party ahead of elections next week. Politicians in Germany have called for the party to be banned because of alleged extremism.

“Must reject this lunacy”

The vice-president’s statement provoked anger and dismay among German establishment politicians. Left-wing Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared that Germany “does not accept outsiders intervening in our democracy”.

Meanwhile, the American call to protect civil liberties in Europe also seems to have gained some support in Germany. For example, columnist Andreas Rosenfelder wrote in Die Welt that the German establishment’s dismissive attitude towards the vice-president’s criticism is “the real scandal”.

“They would do well in their own best interests to recognise [Vance’s] speech as an hour of truth instead of turning it into an enemy attack”, he wrote.

In response to the CBS report, Mr. Vance repeated some of his criticisms on Monday:

“Insulting someone is not a crime, and criminalizing speech is going to put real strain on European-US relationships. This is Orwellian, and everyone in Europe and the US must reject this lunacy”, he urges.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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