American journalist Michael Shellenberger has issued a stark warning about intelligence agencies orchestrating a worldwide censorship campaign aimed at suppressing nationalist and populist movements.
Speaking to GB News Originals, he described a coordinated effort by deep state agencies to establish what he calls a "digital prison" across the globe.
The journalist pointed to a pattern of suppression extending from Britain to Brazil, with intelligence communities at the heart of what he termed the "censorship industrial complex".
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|Michael Shellenberger warned of a further cracking down of censorship, particularly in Britain
He argued that this represents not merely a theoretical concern but documented "conspiracy facts" showing systematic targeting of political dissent.
Shellenberger characterised this development as a fundamental assault on Western values and human freedom itself, warning that democratic societies face an unprecedented threat to liberties that previous generations fought to secure.
Shellenberger expressed particular alarm at developments in Britain, where he said Prime Minister Keir Starmer had established a special police task force resulting in approximately 30 daily arrests for speech-related offences.
He highlighted the case of Lucy Connolly, a mother who received a prison sentence exceeding those given to child rapists and terrorists after posting content on X that she removed within four hours.
"We just look with bafflement and horror at what's occurring in Britain," Shellenberger told GB News Originals. He noted the irony of these developments in a nation that produced champions of free expression like Milton, John Stuart Mill and George Orwell.
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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has faced criticism over Labour's 'crackdown' on free speech in Britain
The journalist suggested that Britain's current approach to speech regulation represents a betrayal of its historical legacy as the birthplace of modern free speech principles.
Shellenberger traced the roots of current censorship efforts to George Orwell's warnings, noting that the author drew inspiration from American ex-communist James Burnham's concept of the "Managerial State". Burnham had predicted that totalitarianism would emerge from government bureaucracies rather than traditional dictatorships.
The journalist identified 2016 as a turning point, when Brexit and Trump's election triggered the creation of what he called the censorship industrial complex. He claimed American intelligence agencies, including the CIA, FBI and Department of Homeland Security, bear primary responsibility for establishing this global censorship infrastructure.
"We, in many ways, I think the American government is more responsible for the creation of the censorship industrial complex globally than anybody else," Shellenberger stated, acknowledging America's central role in developing these systems.
The journalist detailed how this censorship campaign extends far beyond Britain's borders. He cited the recent arrest of Brazil's former president, which followed an investigative report revealing that Brazilian courts had established a secret tribunal to prosecute protesters based on their social media activity from demonstrations on January 8 2023.
GB News Originals
|Shellenberger told Neil Oliver that the world could become placed in a 'completely digital prison worldwide'
Shellenberger identified similar crackdowns occurring across multiple nations, naming Germany, France, Mexico and Canada as examples. He specifically mentioned Brussels' attempts to impose global censorship through the Digital Services Act.
According to Shellenberger, these governments have intensified their censorship efforts following Trump's election, suggesting a coordinated response by leaders including Emmanuel Macron in France. He described this as an attempt to create a worldwide censorship system reminiscent of Orwell's "1984" and the dystopian series "Black Mirror".
Shellenberger warned that America represents the last barrier against complete global censorship, stating that if the United States falls to these restrictions, "then I think all is lost". He became visibly emotional whilst discussing the gravity of the situation, describing it as "a war on humanity, a war on biology, a war on the fundamentals of what it means to be a human being".
The journalist emphasised the historical brevity of Western freedoms, reminding viewers that democracy and the right to choose leaders represent recent achievements in human history. "People fought and died for these rights," he said, expressing concern that only a small number of people worldwide comprehend how close these freedoms are to disappearing entirely.