US Vice President JD Vance claims European freedom of speech is in decline, but a fact-check reveals his examples are misleading and taken out of context.
Fact Check: Claims Behind JD Vance’s Free Speech Attack Debunked
JD Vance, the US Vice President, recently claimed at the Munich Security Conference that European freedom of speech is in decline. However, DW’s Team Fact check takes a closer look at some of his examples and provides context surrounding these cases.
J.D. Vance is an American lawyer, venture capitalist, and author.
He was born in 1984 in Middletown, Ohio.
Vance grew up in a poor household with a single mother who struggled with addiction.
Despite these challenges, he attended the University of Ohio and later Yale Law School.
Vance's memoir 'Hillbilly Elegy' explores his childhood experiences and offers insights into the struggles faced by working-class Americans.
Claim 1: Scotland Warns Citizens Against Home Prayer
Vance stated that the Scottish government sent letters to citizens warning them that praying at home could be illegal within Safe Access Zones around abortion clinics. He also alleged that the government urged readers to report any fellow citizens suspected of thought crime.
DW Fact Check: Misleading.
While it is true that Scotland introduced Safe Access Zones in September 2024 and banned ‘silent prayer’ and similar pressure-building activities near abortion clinics, silent prayer at home with no distress to others is not included in the ban. However, the law does stipulate that even activities visible or audible within the zone and done intentionally or recklessly in a private place could be an offense.
Gillian Mackay, Member of the Scottish Parliament, stated that the letter was sent to inform households about what the zones mean for them. She emphasized that no individual behavior is criminalized, and silent prayer or praying in your own home are not illegal as Vance stated. This is simply scaremongering, she said.
Claim 2: British Man Charged for Silent Prayer
Vance claimed that a British man was charged with the heinous crime of standing 50 meters from an abortion clinic and silently praying for three minutes. He alleged that the man was found guilty of breaking the ‘government’s new buffer zones law’ and was sentenced to pay thousands of pounds in legal costs.
DW Fact Check: Misleading.
Adam Smith-Connor, a 51-year-old physiotherapist and army veteran, was convicted of breaching a safe zone by praying outside an abortion clinic in Bournemouth. He refused repeated requests to leave the area and was handed a £100 fine, which he didn’t pay, triggering a court case. Ultimately, he received a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay prosecution costs to the tune of 9,000 pounds.
The Public Spaces Protection Order was introduced outside the Bournemouth clinic in October 2022 to create buffer zones around abortion clinics to stop women from being harassed or having to pass by vigils.
Claim 3: EU Commissars Warn Against Social Media Shutdown
Vance stated that EU commissars warn citizens that they intend to shut down social media during times of civil unrest the moment they spot what they’ve judged to be ‘hateful content.’
A European Commissar, also known as a Commissioner, is a member of the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union.
There are 27 Commissioners, one from each EU member state, appointed by the European Council and confirmed by the European Parliament.
They are responsible for proposing legislation, implementing policies, and managing the EU's budget.
Commissars serve five-year terms, with a president chosen from among them to lead the Commission.
DW Fact Check: Misleading.
After researching JD Vance‘s claim on EU commissars warning about shutting down social media during times of civil unrest, we found different media reports referring to the topic back in July 2023. They cited former European Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, referring to the possibility of a shutdown under EU’s content moderation law only ‘in extreme cases’ and following due process if they didn’t crack down problematic content during riots.
Thierry Breton is a French engineer and businessman.
He graduated from the École Polytechnique in 1974 and earned an MBA from INSEAD in 1980.
Breton began his career at IBM, where he held various leadership positions.
In 1997, he joined France Télécom as CEO, leading the company's transformation into Orange SA.
Between 2008 and 2011, he served as French Minister of Economy, Industry and Employment under President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Since 2020, Breton has been a member of the European Parliament.
In his statements, Breton cites and refers to the Digital Services Act (DSA), adopted in 2022 and fully applicable since 2024. The DSA regulates online intermediaries and platforms, addressing issues like illegal content, transparent advertising, and disinformation. According to the European Commission, the main goal of the act is ‘to prevent illegal and harmful activities online and the spread of disinformation.’
The claim that the EU commissars can shut down social media if they spot what they’ve judged to be ‘hateful content’ is misleading.
In conclusion, JD Vance’s claims about European freedom of speech being in decline are debunked by fact-checking. The examples he provided were either misleading or taken out of context.
