News Round-Up: von der Leyen's Disinfo 'Concerns' Threatening Free Speech, Australia Compensating Vaccine Victims and Sexual Assaults on German Trains on the Rise

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:

• Threat to freedom of expression: under the banner of the fight against disinformation, von der Leyen eyes stronger intervention in social media.

• Australia's compensation scheme for Covid vaccine injured: 20.5 million paid out so far.

• Explosion of sexual crimes at German trains and train stations.

• Fewer and fewer Swedes dare to intervene when they see a crime.

• Unscientific Covid measures: another study shows that masks did not limit the spread of Covid.

Threat to freedom of expression: under the banner of the fight against disinformation, von der Leyen eyes stronger intervention in social media

If re-elected, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledges to create new possibilities and structures at European Union (EU) level to fight disinformation. In a speech at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on Tuesday morning, von der Leyen said she was concerned about the spread of disinformation and foreign interference in Europe. As a result, the 'core tenets of our democracy' were under attack, she said. In order to protect the EU from this spread of disinformation, von der Leyen presented a plan, with a catchy name, the European Democracy Shield. This "shield" would be tasked with detecting and removing disinformation circulating online, building from the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), and protecting EU citizens from malicious influence by enabling Europeans to recognise the dangers, or let us just say – re-educating them.

Ursula von der Leyen would like to ‘shield’ Europeans from ‘disinformation’ on the internet, but as we have witnessed, such schemes always limit freedom of expression. Photo: belgium24.eu/Wikimedia Commons.

While plans to limit the spread of disinformation and hostile propaganda may seem appropriate at first sight, they carry in fact a high risk of restricting freedom of expression. The experience of recent years shows unequivocally that it is often not information that is false that is treated as misinformation or disinformation by the authorities. In fact, on most occasions, it is just information that for whatever reason is not useful to those in power or that they do not wish to be made public. A good example of the fight against 'misinformation' or 'disinformation' was the Covid crisis, when factually accurate statements were declared to be misinformation and their authors, often distinguished doctors and scientists, were labelled as spreaders of misinformation. Of course, this card of misinformation or disinformation disseminated by a hostile foreign country has also been played for political reasons. For example, in October 2020, shortly before the US presidential election, social media companies, under pressure from the US national security services, blocked a New York Post article based on emails and documents found on the laptop of president Biden's son Hunter Biden, which linked then presidential candidate Joe Biden to influence peddling towards Ukraine and China. The whole story was true, but was quickly declared a Russian information operation. However, other publications later acknowledged the veracity of the information presented by the Post.

So the danger with such schemes is who, and with what motives, will decide what is disinformation from a hostile source and what is not? The label of pro-Kremlin is being used in increasingly absurd contexts nowadays and is a way to kill a discussion even on serious topics such as immigration policies, World Health Organization’s new treaties, etc.

Australia's compensation scheme for Covid vaccine injured: 20.5 million paid out so far

As of the end of March, the Australian government had compensated people for injuries sustained from the Covid-19 vaccine to the tune of 20.5 million Australian dollars, or 12.5 million euros, reports The Epoch Times.

Australia's Covid-19 vaccine injury compensation scheme allows people to claim compensation for moderate to severe adverse reactions to Covid vaccines if the claim is over $1,000 (610 EUR). In order to make a compensation claim, individuals must meet the definition of harm, be admitted to hospital as an inpatient, or have a waiver if seen in outpatient care. In addition, they will have to show that the expenses related to the medical injury exceed $1000. The conditions ranged from anaphylactic reaction to erythema multiforme (major), myocarditis, pericarditis and thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome. Also included were shoulder injuries from the vaccine, or other moderate to significant physical injuries that caused permanent impairment or required an extended period of medical treatment.

Governments all over the world pay out only a small proportion of compensation claims made because of Covid vaccine related injuries. oto: Mathurin NAPOLY/Unsplash.

Australia's policy of coercive measures around Covid, including vaccination, were some of the most brutal in the world. Although the state now has to pay some compensation to people who have suffered, it should be borne in mind that only a very small proportion will be compensated. Although more than 4,000 people have applied for vaccine injury compensation in Australia, only 286 claims have been accepted, or 6.82%. The situation is similar in many other countries.

Explosion of sexual crimes on board German trains and at train stations

In the first three months of the year, there has been a sharp increase in the number of violent incidents, including sexual assaults, at train stations and trains of Germany, according to the data received from the Federal Police, Remix News reports.

According to the crime statistics, there were nearly 8,100 violent crimes in the first three months of the year, and a total of 2,800 in March this year alone. This is an increase of 19.7% compared to March last year. This means that 90 crimes are committed every day on the German rail network.

90 violent crimes are committed every day on the German rail network. Photo: Jonas Augustin/Unsplash.

March also saw an explosion in the number of serious sexual offences, with a total of 213, 37% increase compared to March 2023.

The number of crimes on the rail network has also shown a sharp increase over previous years. In 2021, around 17,800 violent crimes were recorded on board the trains and at train stations, rising to around 24,800 in 2022.

Of course, it is not only trains and stations that have seen an increase in violent crime. Last year, 214,999 violent crimes were committed in Germany, which is the highest level in 15 years. Compared to 2022, there was an increase of 8.6%, with the number of knife attacks rising by 9.7% year-on-year.

The increase in crime is directly linked to mass immigration from countries with a differing cultural background. In particular, a record high number of foreigners were involved in crime – in 41% of all the crimes. It is also important to note that many of the Germans listed as crime suspects have a migration background, but they are simply considered “German” in the reporting since they have obtained a German passport.

Fewer and fewer Swedes dare to intervene when they see a crime

The civil courage of Swedes has begun to fall sharply as the number of violent crimes in the country increases, according to a survey conducted by the newspaper Aftonbladet and the analysis company Demoskop. Half of the survey respondents admitted that they were now less willing to intervene and go to help when they saw a crime, as compared to a year ago. Only 22% said they were now more willing to help.

Johan Martinsson, Director of Public Opinion and Polling at Demoskop, believes the poll results reflect the impact of recent violent incidents in the society, in particular the recent murder of 39-year-old Mikael in Skärholmen in Stockholm. Mikael was killed by assailants in the street as he cycled with his 12-year-son towards the swimming pool. He got into a conflict with the criminals, which he tried to resolve, but was shot in the head.

Back in February an X user shared a map of bombings that were happening daily in Sweden. Photo: screenshot.

At the beginning of February, however, bombs exploded daily in Sweden as various drug gangs engaged in a power struggle. This gang violence and organised crime rivalry in Sweden is directly linked to large-scale immigration. In other words, the leaders of these violent gangs, which make their main livelihood from the drug trade, are themselves immigrants and typically involve young people with an immigrant background.

The problems of uncontrolled immigration in Sweden and the labelling of citizens who draw attention to the problems as spreading misinformation, etc., were also covered in a recent analysis that we published.

Unscientific Covid measures: another study shows that masks did not limit the spread of Covid

Although mask mandates were introduced in several parts of the world to prevent the spread of the Covid virus, there was no scientific basis for this method, as the results of another recently published study show, reports UnHerd.

The study, from the University of East Anglia, looked at whether or not the mask requirement, which was in place in spring 2022, did anything to reduce the risk of contracting the virus. A strain of the virus called Omicron was circulating at the time, and the study's authors conclude that while masks may have reduced infection for previous virus variants, they certainly did not prevent the spread of this strain.

There is a good reason not to believe what this mask is telling you. Photo: Haithem Ferdi/Unsplash.

UnHerd also points out that the UK Government secretly censored the critics of Covid-19 protocols, including masking, through its Counter Disinformation Unit. Yet a growing body of research indicates that on key issues, including mandatory masking, the state’s approach was unscientific and did not meaningfully reduce the spread of the virus. Other studies have also failed to find evidence to support the efficacy of mask mandates and lockdowns.