Today, Sarah Rogers, United States Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy, confirmed that the US is poised to forever block foreign censorship of US citizens under laws like the UK Online Safety Act or the EU Digital Services Act.
Cognizant this may come as a shock to some of you, it’s actually the latest in a series of developments over the last four months. I summarize these below to get you up to speed.
10/13/2025: Ofcom fines my client 4chan and claims it is entitled to sovereign immunity.
10/16/2025: I publish Ofcom’s correspondence to 4chan on this blog, which is marked confidential and which Ofcom would prefer not to have been released.
10/18/2025: The GRANITE Act, a foreign censorship shield law, is proposed here, by yours truly, on this blog.
11/20/2025: Wyoming GRANITE Act finalized and filed for numbering with the Wyoming legislature, as reported exclusively on this blog.
12/4/2025: United States Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, Sarah Rogers, in an interview with GB News, describes Ofcom’s censorship of Americans in America as a “non-starter. It is a deal-breaker, it is a red line.” She adds that a federal censorship shield law is also under consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives.
12/4/2025: Ofcom writes to 4chan again, claiming it is “expanding its investigation” into the site for not age-verifying its users. Ofcom explains that although it is “a UK-based regulator… that does not mean the rules do not apply to sites based abroad.” We respond by pointing them to Under Secretary Rogers’ interview and telling them that their correspondence in this case directly inspired the GRANITE Act.
12/5/2025: X is fined by the EU.
12/5/2025: United States Senator Eric Schmitt announces, on X, that he is also working on foreign censorship shield legislation.
1/15/2026: final version of the Wyoming GRANITE Act published, right here on this blog. It will be formally introduced shortly.
1/27/2026: I ask, in the Spectator, Will Congress Shield the US From Foreign Attacks on the First Amendment?
1/28/2026: The U.S. Department of State answers: “yes, we will.”
I just hope they keep the name GRANITE!
Haven’t seen the federal bill so I’m not sure what’s in it, but I am amazingly excited. I’m virtually certain there will be a shield. Whether there’s also a private right of action – a sword – TBD but I’m hopeful.