Global censorship? ECJ judgment causes excitement in Austria!

Global censorship? ECJ judgment causes excitement in Austria!

On Thursday, December 19, 2024, an important chapter will be opened in the Austrian media scene and case law. In the program Exxpress Live! , moderated by Volker Piesczek, the guests, including political scientist Ralph Schöllhammer and editor Eva Schütz, discuss brisant topics such as the luxury pensions for ORF stars and a current bank scandal about an FPÖ consultant, whose account was surprisingly canceled.

A sensational topic is the judgment of the European Court of Justice, which could significantly restrict the freedom of expression. As Slate , the Court decided that a single EU country, in this case, can request Austria to remove certain contributions globally To monitor content. This could have far-reaching consequences for online communication and public debates, as this opens up the possibility that a single country acts as a global censor and sets the rules for expression, regardless of the origin or location of the user.

detailed analysis of the online censorship

The case goes back to a 2016 Facebook post, in which a user Eva Glawischnig-Piesczek, the then chairwoman of the Greens in Austria, insulted. This contribution was removed after an Austrian court order, but only for users in Austria, which Glawischnig-Piesczek did not meet. It called for a complete deletion of similar content, without geographical restriction. The judgment of the European Court of Justice now supports this claim and could create a dangerous precedent for international expression. Critics warn that this could lead to general surveillance by social media that endangers the limits of freedom of expression.

The legal consequences have not yet been clarified, since the case now leads back to the Austrian dishes that have to decide on the specific scope of the measures arranged. However, the verdict already shows the worrying tendency, which is made possible by the case law, such as Exxpress.at . It remains to be seen how the national courts deal with the judgment and which standards are determined in terms of monitoring and deletion of content. At a time when digital communication becomes increasingly important, it is of crucial importance to find a balance between protection of privacy and the protection of freedom of expression.