Why the U.S. Is Building a VPN to Undermine EU Speech Laws

KEY POINTS

• The U.S. State Department is building a portal at “freedom.gov” that would let users in Europe and elsewhere access content blocked by their governments — including material classified as hate speech or terrorist propaganda under EU law, Reuters reported Wednesday citing three sources
• Officials discussed embedding a VPN function that would make traffic appear to originate in the U.S., with no user tracking — the project is led by Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers and involves Edward Coristine, a former DOGE member now working at the National Design Studio
• A former State Department official called it “a direct shot” at European rules — the portal was expected to launch at the Munich Security Conference but was delayed after State Department lawyers raised concerns, though a spokesperson denied both the delay and the legal objections

The U.S. State Department is developing an online portal designed to let people in Europe and other regions view content their own governments have banned. The site, hosted at “freedom.gov,” could include a built-in VPN that routes traffic through the United States, effectively allowing users to bypass national content restrictions. Reuters broke the story Wednesday, citing three sources familiar with the project.

The domain was registered on January 12 and as of Wednesday showed only the National Design Studio’s logo, the words “fly, eagle, fly,” and a login form. The project is led by Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers. Edward Coristine, a former member of Elon Musk‘s Department of Government Efficiency, is also involved through the National Design Studio, created by Trump to overhaul government website aesthetics.

Two continents, two constitutions

The initiative reflects a widening transatlantic rift over speech. The U.S. Constitution protects virtually all expression. Europe’s approach, shaped by the legacy of extremist propaganda that fueled Nazism, draws firm lines around hate speech, terrorist content, and disinformation.

The EU’s Digital Services Act, in force since 2022, requires large platforms to act quickly against potentially illegal content through a notice-and-takedown system — even without a court order. Since July 2025, the European Code of Practice on Disinformation has added obligations including demonetization and audits. X paid a €120 million fine under these rules.

Trump administration officials have criticized these policies as suppressing conservative voices, singling out content moderation decisions in Romania, Germany, and France. The State Department told Reuters it does not have a censorship-circumvention program specific to Europe but called digital freedom “a priority.”

The problem with freedom.gov

Kenneth Propp, a former State Department official who handled European digital regulations and now works at the Atlantic Council, called the plan “a direct shot” at European rules. He said the portal would be seen as Washington actively helping citizens circumvent their own countries’ laws.

The portal was expected to debut at the Munich Security Conference last week but was delayed. Two sources said State Department lawyers raised concerns, though a spokesperson denied this. It remains unclear what advantage a government-backed VPN would offer over commercial alternatives. Before Trump’s second term, the U.S. funded similar circumvention tools — but those targeted authoritarian regimes in China, Iran, and Cuba. Turning that infrastructure against democratic allies is what makes freedom.gov unprecedented.

Related coverage: Brazil’s Morning Call | USA & Canada Intelligence Brief for Thursday, February 19, 2 This is part of The Rio Times’ daily coverage of global affairs and Latin American financial news.