The United States launches a website that will change the history of the internet
The U.S. State Department is developing an online portal under the domain freedom.gov that will allow European citizens, and users from other countries as well, to access content that is banned by their governments.
According to Reuters, the project will include a built-in Virtual Private Network (VPN) feature that reroutes user traffic to servers located in the United States.
The initiative was to be led by Sarah Rogers, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, and was scheduled to be announced at the Munich Security Conference last week. However, its launch has been postponed without any clear official explanation.
Although a State Department spokesman denied any delays or internal disagreements, various sources indicate that some officials and legal advisors have expressed reservations about the diplomatic and legal implications of the project.
The plan includes not tracking user activity and making the connection, via the integrated VPN, appear to originate from the United States. This would allow users to bypass restrictions imposed in many countries under laws such as the Digital Millennium Development Goals (DMCA), which mandates the immediate removal of content deemed illegal.
This proposal aligns with Donald Trump's foreign policy, which has placed the defense of free speech at the heart of his international discourse. Indeed, Washington recently criticized Brussels for what it considers a restrictive approach affecting platforms like Meta and X.
However, former US diplomats such as Kenneth Propp believe that this new gateway could be seen in Europe as a direct attack on the EU's regulatory sovereignty.
The domain was registered on January 12 and currently displays the "National Design Studio" logo alongside a logo that appears translated according to the user's country.
If it is eventually launched, the United States will be at the forefront of a move that would increase transatlantic tensions amid a dispute over trade, Ukraine, and digital regulation.