Receiving some media queries about a draft joint statement on free expression which my office circulated in the margins of OECD — so I thought I’d address this directly: When it comes to freedom of speech, there’s a lot of attention paid to viral controversies dividing America and Europe. But face-to-face conversations tell a different story: allied democracies support free expression, disclaim any intent to censor political debate, and emphasize that except for edge cases such as swastikas, their internet regulations aim to protect consumers and kids rather than chill speech. We love hearing this, and wanted to memorialize it. So in the margins of productive OECD talks, we drafted a joint statement with the aim of promoting transparency and driving consensus. The statement is intended as an expression of comity and common values, and also as a source of interpretive guidance for American speech companies complying with overseas laws. A diplomatic statement can’t override laws like the DSA — and this one doesn’t try. But it does provide color regarding countries’ values and concerns. Signatories affirm that they don’t intend to censor, e.g., satire (like the Charlie Hebdo cartoons), statistics about topics like crime or mass migration, or nonviolent dissent against government policy. American companies deserve to know this — so they don’t over-comply by suppressing the exact speech everyone agrees is protected. Stay tuned!