AnewZ Morning Brief - 9 September, 2025
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 9 September, covering the latest developments you need to know...
The U.S. State Department has intensified its months-long campaign against the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), drawing sharp reactions from European officials just days before a crucial trade deadline between the two sides.
In its latest remarks on Tuesday, the State Department accused the European Commission of an “Orwellian” approach to free speech, invoking imagery from George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 to describe what it sees as EU overreach in online content moderation.
This is the latest development in Washington’s campaign targeting the EU’s flagship tech law. The push began in February when Vice President JD Vance referred to European officials as “commissars” during a speech in Munich. Since then, the Department of State has disseminated targeted social media posts criticising the DSA, asserting it suppresses dissent under the guise of regulating digital platforms.
The campaign comes at a delicate time. The EU has just nine days to finalise a trade deal with the U.S. or face new tariffs, including increased levies on steel. EU diplomats have warned that deepening disputes over digital regulation could jeopardise the broader trade agreement.
In one of its recent posts, the U.S. claimed that “thousands are being convicted for the crime of criticizing their own governments” in Europe, adding, “All the DSA protects is European leaders from their own people.”
The Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA), adopted in 2022, places legal obligations on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) to remove illegal content and restrict the sale of illicit goods.
However, critics in Washington argue that the law conflicts with U.S. free speech protections and amounts to censorship.
In June, the U.S. Mission to the EU shared a series of graphic-style posts on X accusing Europe’s “disinformation industry” and “fact-checking complex” of stifling viewpoints that challenge the political mainstream. The Mission later confirmed to POLITICO that the content was part of a mandated State Department social media campaign.
France responded in kind earlier this month, publishing a graphic in a similar style defending the DSA, saying Europeans had chosen “freedom of expression and data protection, not noise and targeted advertising.”
The European Commission has largely avoided engaging with the U.S. criticism directly. When asked about the “Orwellian” label, Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier reiterated that the DSA protects free speech and does not mandate the removal of lawful content.
Henna Virkkunen, the Commission’s lead on tech policy, has insisted that the EU’s digital laws remain outside the scope of trade talks.
On Tuesday, French Industry Minister Marc Ferracci warned that if negotiations with the U.S. fail, France may consider retaliatory measures targeting the digital ad revenues of major American platforms.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 9 September, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A New Zealand fugitive father shot dead by police put his children at risk with his actions and had "no regard" for their safety, authorities said on Tuesday, as police found quad bikes and ammunition at their campsite hideout.
The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) for Gaza said on Tuesday that one of its main boats was struck by a drone at a port in Tunisia, though all six passengers and crew were safe.
Thailand's Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra must serve one year in jail because his detention in a VIP wing of a hospital in lieu of prison was unlawful, in another major blow for a powerful family that has dominated politics for two decades.
Israel's military on Tuesday ordered residents to evacuate from Gaza City ahead of a new offensive to seize the Strip's largest urban centre, part of a planned takeover stirring international alarm over the fate of the entire territory.
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