News Round-Up: UK Arrests Comedian over Social Media Posts, EU Nears Chat Control Vote, and Lithuania Leads Digital Euro Push
Every week, the editorial team of Freedom Research compiles a round-up of news that caught our eye, or what felt like under-reported aspects of news deserving more attention.
Over the past week, the following topics attracted our attention:
UK Arrests Comedian Graham Linehan over Social Media Posts
Florida Moves to End Mandatory Vaccinations
EU Faces Critical Vote on Controversial Chat Control Act
Lithuania Pioneers EU’s Digital Euro Rollout
Mexican Court Blocks Biometric ID Card System over Privacy Concerns
UK Arrests Comedian Graham Linehan over Social Media Posts
Irish comedian Graham Linehan, 57, was arrested by five police officers at Heathrow Airport upon arrival from the US. The arrest stemmed from April posts on X criticizing trans ideology, as reported by The Irish Times.
Known for co-writing The IT Crowd, Black Books, and Father Ted, Linehan has won Emmy and BAFTA awards. He moved to the US last year, citing UK restrictions on free speech as reason. According to him, one of the posts leading to his arrest stated: “If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act. Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails punch him in the balls.”
Linehan’s Substack detailed his post-arrest hospital visit for high blood pressure and release on bail, with the condition of banning him from X. “I was arrested at an airport like a terrorist, locked in a cell like a criminal, taken to hospital because the stress nearly killed me, and banned from speaking online—all because I made jokes that upset some psychotic crossdressers,” he wrote, claiming the UK stifles free speech. He is now convinced that the United Kingdom has become a country that hates freedom of speech and women and is too lenient toward the demands of violent and harassing men.
Graham Linehan returned to the UK for a court hearing, accused of harassing a transgender woman on social media and damaging her phone, charges he denies.
The arrest sparked backlash. JK Rowling, conservative MPs, and free-speech activists have condemned it. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch criticized it as a waste of police resources and an attack on free speech. Badenoch said, “Five officers shouldn’t silence a comedian for views most share.” Meanwhile, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson emphasized tackling anti-social behaviour and serious crimes like violence against women, leaving this case to police discretion.
Florida Moves to End Mandatory Vaccinations
The state of Florida plans to end mandatory vaccinations for children against diseases like measles, mumps, chickenpox, polio, and hepatitis. Florida’s chief medical officer, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, also a University of Florida professor, made the announcement emphasizing that everyone should have the right to make decisions about their own body and compared mandatory vaccination to ‘slavery’, according to Tampa Bay Times.
Previously, criticism of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration focused on COVID-19 vaccines. In 2022, Dr. Ladapo recommended against mRNA vaccines for healthy children, opposing national guidelines. Now, Florida aims to be the first U.S. state to end mandatory vaccinations for all vaccines, restoring parental choice.
Mandatory vaccinations have long been required for school attendance in the U.S. Florida mandates vaccines against polio, diphtheria, rubella, measles, whooping cough, mumps, and tetanus, with the Department of Health also requiring vaccines for varicella or chickenpox, hepatitis B, haemophilus influenzae type b or Hib, and pneumococcal conjugate or PCV15/20. Dr. Ladapo faces administrative changes to lift some of the requirements, while others need legislative action.
Katie Young, Department of Health spokesperson, said the department plans to remove four federally required vaccines from the mandatory list. Additionally, the department will expand exemption grounds to include personal beliefs, alongside religious reasons.
EU Faces Critical Vote on Controversial Chat Control Act
On September 12, EU member states will vote on a chat control regulation, requiring software providers to scan all citizens’ messages for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) before they are sent, according to Euronews. Security experts warn that scanning of messages on devices undermines encryption algorithms, compromising the privacy of messages intended solely for recipients.
The Danish Presidency is pushing for approval, but opposition from citizens and political groups is growing. According to Fightchatcontrol.eu, only six countries—Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, the Netherlands, and Poland—currently oppose the regulation. Undecided countries include Estonia, Germany, Greece, Romania, Luxembourg, and Slovenia. Luukas Ilves, former Deputy Secretary General for Digital Development at Estonia’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, criticized Estonia’s indecision: "Estonia has always been a fervent proponent of end to end encryption. I’ve fought a few rounds of this fight myself in the council. Now we are “undecided”?"
In the European Parliament, opposition comes from Greens/EFA VOLT, right-wing European patriots, and conservative EPP members. The regulation’s requirement to upload content to a database for verification before sending threatens privacy and end-to-end encryption, increasing risks of leaks of private messages and photos. Critics argue that this effectively nullifies message confidentiality. They assert that protecting children online is possible without blanket monitoring of all citizens.
Lithuania Pioneers EU’s Digital Euro Rollout
The European Union has long planned to introduce the digital euro, with the European Central Bank (ECB) set to launch initial trials in just over a month, according to Reuters. Unlike cryptocurrencies, the digital euro, with its infrastructure targeted for completion by 2027, aims to complement cash, enable offline transactions, and provide a pan-European alternative to Visa, Mastercard, and Big Tech payment systems.
Lithuania leads as the primary advocate for the digital currency, with legislation nearly finalized and prototypes in development. The country is driven by goals of financial sovereignty, resilience, and national security, heightened by its proximity to Russia and Belarus and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Lithuania views the digital euro as a tool to reduce reliance on US-based payment networks, which cost the EU €1 billion in fees in 2022.
The ECB highlights pseudonymization and data encryption to safeguard user privacy, while Lithuanian experts emphasize offline capabilities to minimize data traces and enhance trust. However, the digital euro faces potential challenges. Critics warn that the ECB could morph into a tech-focused entity, risking inefficiencies or errors. In China, similar systems have fostered bureaucratic corruption. Although the ECB states that “the digital euro will coexist with cash,” concerns arise as EU policies, like those restricting end-to-end encryption (e.g. Sweden’s example), threaten digital privacy. Additionally, some EU countries are imposing cash transaction limits, accelerating the decline of cash usage.
Mexican Court Blocks Biometric ID Card System over Privacy Concerns
In July, Mexico mandated that by February 2026, all citizens must have a Unique Population Registry Code (Clave Única de Registro de Población – CURP), an 18-digit biometric identifier which, in addition to standard personal data such as name, photo, and gender, contains a QR code with fingerprints and iris scans, according to Biometric Update.
The government planned planned to link this code to an identity platform integrated with multiple national databases, creating a centralized super database. Additionally, Mexico aimed to collect biometric data from children and young people nationwide. The stated goal is to enhance identification and locate missing persons.
Critics warn that mandatory biometric IDs could enable widespread state surveillance and data protection violations, especially since agencies like the National Intelligence Center will access the data. The law lacks requirements for authorities to notify citizens when their data is accessed, failing to establish safeguards against misuse, leaks, identity theft, or corruption.
The Mexican government’s plan faced a setback when a court recently halted the biometric ID system’s rollout due to privacy and data security concerns. The court ruled that the government must balance its intentions with robust legal provisions to protect citizens’ data effectively.
The decision was unaffected by the Department of Homeland Security’s recent $27 million contract to bolster the system’s cybersecurity. Digital rights advocates argue that stronger assurances are needed to prevent the biometric system from becoming a tool for digital surveillance.
Vaccine exemptions for personal beliefs are important. All one should need is to not want it, and the reason should be unimportant. Anything less is not a government that guarantees liberty and protects life and property, but one which violates them.