Newly elected US Vice President JD Vance has sent a warning to allied countries that he says are censoring their own citizens and ignoring free speech.

Although talking to European nations, Australians should also heed Vance’s warning.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference last week, Vance delivered stern words for countries that fail to live up to their own fundamental values, especially freedom of speech. 

“The threat that I worry the most about vis-à-vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s not any other external actor, and what I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America,” the vice president said.

“In Britain, and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat,” he went on. 

The vice president’s speech comes as Germany introduces new hate speech laws, not dissimilar to those introduced in Australia. 

The new Australian laws, which were prompted by a rise in anti-semitism, follow a number of similar pieces of legislation that can impact free speech.

“Hate speech” laws increase the possibility for political adversaries to frame legitimate discussion as “threatening” and have a chilling effect on important public discussion.

Other legislation such as Britain’s “buffer zone” laws have resulted in Christian such as Adam Smith-Connor being arrested for praying silently outside abortion clinics.

Vance’s speech also highlights what ADF International calls the “censorship industrial complex”.

The ‘censorship industrial complex’ is a network of ideologically aligned governmental, nonprofit, media, tech, finance, and academic institutions that are colluding to censor vast swaths of speech they claim threatens democracy, including speech on a wide array of critical social and political issues.

They are weaponising terms like “hate” and “misinformation/disinformation” to censor speakers directly, pressure digital platforms to censor, and threaten to shut down platforms that refuse to bend the knee to censorship demands.

In another interview late last year, the vice president noted how American power comes “with strings attached”. 

One of those is: respect free speech.

If NATO wants us to continue supporting them, and NATO wants us to continue to be a good participant in this military alliance, why don't you respect American values and respect free speech?

Though Vance was focussed on Europe, Australia, with similar military, trade, and diplomatic ties to the US, should also take heed of the Vice President’s comments.

The freedom to speak truth is a fundamental right and a core commitment of HRLA. The assistance we provide to ordinary people such as Billboard Chris, Jillian Spencer and Jereth Kok helps defend all Australians against the encroaching censorship industrial complex.

Billboard Chris is set to appear in court next month, challenging the eSafety Commissioner after she censored his social media post.