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Vitalik Buterin warned that the EU’s regulatory approach under the Digital Services Act risks undermining multilateralism by trying to leave “space” for controversial speech or online products.
In a detailed post on X, the co-founder of Ethereum argued that a free society should not aim to eliminate ideas it considers harmful. Instead, he said regulators should focus on preventing such content from being algorithmically amplified and controlling public discourse.
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What does the EU’s “zero space” approach mean?
The Digital Services Act applies to the entire electronic ecosystem. Any service that reaches EU users is subject to the law, regardless of size or location. Liabilities accumulate with access and risks, but no platform exists outside the regulatory framework.
This design is intended for decking Legal and technical gaps That previously allowed the platforms to avoid liability.
Critics describe this as a “no-space” approach, meaning that there should be no unregulated digital divides where harmful content can escape liability.
The goal is not complete censorship. Instead, the DSA focuses on risk assessments, transparency and platform design choices that impact how content is distributed.
Buterin said that the real failure of modern social platforms is not that fringe opinions exist, but that algorithms often push them over the edge.
Be warned and think Absolute tolerance It can lead to cross borders, conflict, and increase confidence in technical enforcement.
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Buterin warned that treating hateful ideas as pathogens to be eradicated reflects an anti-pluralist instinct. He argued that disagreement is inevitable in open societies, and that attempts to suppress controversial opinions often expand powers of surveillance and enforcement.
I champion user empowerment, transparency and competition. In his view, platforms should reduce the incentives that reward harmful content, instead of trying to eliminate it completely.
Are you bullish on privacy coins?
The discussion also attracted attention Privacy coins like Monero and Zcash.
As regulators push platforms to monitor behavior and keep more data, users may be more aware that increased censorship often leads to increased data exposure.
This increases the narrative appeal For financial instruments designed to reduce traceability.
However, the effect is uneven. While philosophical support for privacy coins may be growing, Access to regulated EU markets remains restricted. Exchanges continue to limit or remove due to compliance risks.
In short, Europe’s approach reinforces the importance of privacy, even as the workplace of privacy-focused tools becomes more complex.
