[sunshine-o]

I really do not think European countries had "free speech" like it is understood in the US.

After WWII you mostly had state run and controlled TV and radio. And some more freedom in the written press but still most countries mandate Legal deposit [0] sometimes since the Middle Ages. Legal deposit is just the granddaddy of what we understand the Internet is in China. You could really get in trouble easily.

Then mass media were liberalized and put under the control of big corporations in the 1970-80s what gave the illusion of more freedom.

But the WWW really brought the US free speech standards to the entire developed world in the 90-2000s. This is why people under 50 understand "free speech" according to this standard.

The "you get put in jail because of a meme on Facebook" is really a return to normal after a 20 year pause on the Internet. If you don't fight for it, it will never last.

Starmer, like most leaders in the EU, has an 18% approval rating. He really can't afford free speech for its subjects.

- [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_deposit