News: 0180828850

  ARM Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life (Terry Pratchett, Jingo)

US Plans Online Portal To Bypass Content Bans In Europe and Elsewhere

(Thursday February 19, 2026 @10:30PM (BeauHD) from the VPN-by-diplomacy dept.)


The U.S. State Department is reportedly developing a site called freedom.gov that would [1]let users in Europe and elsewhere access content restricted under local laws , "including alleged hate speech and terrorist propaganda," reports Reuters. Washington views the move as a way to counter censorship. Reuters reports:

> One source said officials had discussed including a virtual private network function to make a user's traffic appear to originate in the U.S. and added that user activity on the site will not be tracked. Headed by Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers, the project was expected to be unveiled at last week's Munich Security Conference but was delayed, the sources said. Reuters could not determine why the launch did not happen, but some State Department officials, including lawyers, have raised concerns about the plan, two of the sources said, without detailing the concerns.

>

> The project could further strain ties between the Trump administration and traditional U.S. allies in Europe, already heightened by disputes over trade, Russia's war in Ukraine and President Donald Trump's push to assert control over Greenland. The portal could also put Washington in the unfamiliar position of appearing to encourage citizens to flout local laws.



[1] https://www.reuters.com/world/us-plans-online-portal-bypass-content-bans-europe-elsewhere-2026-02-18/



"Efficiency" (Score:3)

by fuzzyfuzzyfungus ( 1223518 )

So they [1]slashed most of the existing programs [theguardian.com] and now have not-launched the shiny alleged alternative. Truly the new era of competence at work.

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/19/us-funding-for-global-internet-freedom-effectively-gutted

Re: (Score:3)

by test321 ( 8891681 )

Because the gutted program effectively worked for freedom of speech by building technologies that enable censorship evasion in each country. The new program will only provide access to contents through the censorship filter of the US administration.

Re: (Score:2)

by PPH ( 736903 )

Not really an "alternative". The previous program was about helping people break out of oppressive government controlled networks. This is about funneling everyone through the US (oppressive?) network.

So Europe is blocking American social media (Score:2)

by rsilvergun ( 571051 )

Because American social is so stuffed with extremist propaganda especially the stuff from Russia specifically designed to destabilize nation states that you would have to be fucking insane to allow it anywhere near your public and your people.

Europe of course isn't just outright banning it because that would be too obvious so they are restricting it to adults because without getting kids habituated on it they just won't be bothered and they will use homegrown solutions.

It's no surprise that the Amer

Re: (Score:2)

by Powercntrl ( 458442 )

> Seriously I don't think people fully grasp this year Insanity of us threatening to invade Greenland just to seize land like some bunch of bandit Kings.

I think most people just took it as the ramblings of a senile old man, not someone who was sincerely ready to mobilize forces to invade a sovereign foreign land. That's assuming they're even paying attention at all. About 36% of eligible US voters didn't even care enough about the outcome of the last presidential election to bother to cast a vote one way or the other.

If we graded voter participation by the same letter scale public schools use, the 2024 election turnout would've earned a "D". When you thi

Re: (Score:2)

by BoogieChile ( 517082 )

...And then he invaded Venezuala.

Pro Pedophile X.com (Score:2)

by bussdriver ( 620565 )

This got going on threats and planning on banning X for AI childporn fakes by UK and others. Musk is probably involved.

Then you have all that neo-nazi stuff that gets banned and Musk was upset at Germany curtailing that...

Re: (Score:3)

by Mirnotoriety ( 10462951 )

Because American social is so stuffed with extremist propaganda especially the stuff from Russia ..

[1]london.gov.uk [london.gov.uk]: “MPS data for the calendar years 2008 to 2017 indicate that in total 5332 people have been arrested and charged for a range of offences under the Communications Act 2003.”

> it's still going to take a decade to rebuild the damage they have done by letting Trump threaten to invade Greenland.

Trump Derangement Syndrome is a terrible affliction but help is available.

[1] https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-london-assembly-does/questions-mayor/find-an-answer/crimes-social-media

Re: (Score:1)

by caseih ( 160668 )

You really think things will go back to normal in three years, don't you? You really are unable to see the damage that has been inflicted on your nation, much of which will never be repaired. Particularly the damage to the constitution. The last year was a reminder to us all that the constitution is just a piece of paper; it has no power to save us except as people in power (and indeed all people) voluntarily honor it. The DOJ is actively working to circumvent the limits of the constitution and in fact is

Am I missing something here? (Score:4, Insightful)

by Powercntrl ( 458442 )

What's to stop the powers that be over in those European countries from just adding freedom.gov to the blacklist and calling it a day? This would be as silly as me trying to launch a VPN service that lets you bypass Florida's porn age verification requirements, from inside Florida. I realize it's not a 1:1 analogy, I'm just saying that you can't successfully fight something you disagree with when you're clearly at a disadvantaged position to mount your attack.

"It's over Anakin, I have the high ground!"

Re: Am I missing something here? (Score:2)

by liqu1d ( 4349325 )

nothing will stop the EU doing that. The sad part is it wouldn't even need blocking if not for spy companies pushing so hard for people to verify themselves online. The UK blocked a load of sites under the guise of protecting children whereas it seems to have just turned into a data farming exercise. Such a icky time for privacy of any form.

Re: (Score:2)

by Mr. Dollar Ton ( 5495648 )

Yes, you are missing something rather obvious.

Literally nobody in Europe will even for a moment think that a xxx.GOV domain hosts anything but stupid trumpistani propaganda, and the thing will be just as popular as the "melania" movie, which isn't tracking even on pornolab.

There's more than enough crap you can read in our native European in all those national and .eu domains as it is.

Will not be tracked (Score:3)

by ArchieBunker ( 132337 )

Bullshit. They will certainly hand it out for the right price.

Europe should return the favour (Score:2)

by dskoll ( 99328 )

Make a site for kids where they can access the content of all the books GOP N@zis are banning from school libraries.

Re: (Score:2)

by Powercntrl ( 458442 )

> Great job, guys, fight censorship abroad while allowing states to censor the crap out of 3D printing and any vaguely related piece of software that interacts with it.

I'm no 3D printer expert (don't have space for one and really don't have the patience to design things in CAD, so I never got into it), but it seems to me that the cost of a printer capable of printing the receiver portion of a gun + the costs of remainder of the necessary gun parts, exceeds that of [1]just buying a basic inexpensive pistol. [academy.com]

I totally get that some people like to mess around with this stuff as a hobby or for mah freedums!!1 , but if the end result is just to get a firearm and you're not legally

[1] https://www.academy.com/p/hi-point-firearms-cf380-380-acp-semiautomatic-pistol?sku=380-acp

How will this work? Certificates? Privacy? (Score:2)

by whoever57 ( 658626 )

How does this get around the validation of certificates on https sites?

Every way this can work will require this website to be able to spy on every page you view through it.

"Quite frankly, I don't like you humans. After what you all have done,
I find being 'inhuman' a compliment."
-- Spider Robinson, "Callahan's Secret"