Vitalik Buterin has spoken out against the European Union’s “zero-space” approach to online content regulation under the Digital Services Act (DSA), warning that trying to completely eliminate certain content, viewpoints, or products reflects a totalitarian and anti-pluralistic way of thinking. He argued that in a genuinely free society, it’s unrealistic—and dangerous—to believe controversial ideas can be fully erased, especially in digital systems that no single authority can fully control.
According to the Ethereum co-founder, the real issue isn’t that extreme or controversial views exist in small or niche communities. The bigger problem is how social media algorithms amplify those views and push them into the mainstream, allowing them to dominate public discussion. He said regulation should focus on limiting that amplification, rather than attempting to wipe such content out entirely.
Buterin cautioned that aiming for a world with “no space” for unpopular ideas only deepens social divisions and opens the door to technocratic authoritarianism, as regulators are forced to build increasingly invasive systems to enforce subjective judgments. Instead, he called for a user-centric approach that prioritizes algorithmic transparency, more open platforms, stronger competition, and incentives that reduce the large-scale spread of harmful content. He added that he hopes European policymakers choose a pluralistic path that protects free expression, rather than creating a tightly controlled and overly sanitized online space through top-down regulation.
