Letter From The President
August 7, 2025
Free Speech in Crisis: A Special Update and New Projects from CW
The January 8 Files
Yesterday, a group of 40 Brazilian lawmakers put forward a “peace package” that includes amnesty for pro-Bolsonaro protesters and impeachment of Brazil’s top censor, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. As seen in the image above, the document many were holding during their press conference is CW’s latest investigation, the January 8 Files.
In an episode strikingly similar to January 6 in the US, hundreds of supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro entered government buildings in Brasília on January 8, 2023. Many were elderly or ill and committed no acts of violence. Yet all were labeled “coup plotters,” “terrorists,” and “fascists” by Moraes, the media, and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The January 8 Files reveal that Moraes, serving Lula’s political interests, created a secret intelligence task force that used social media posts to justify the imprisonment of protesters. Our investigation found that protesters were illegally kept in jail for things like posting pro-Bolsonaro content, wearing the colors of the Brazilian flag, following right-wing pages, and criticizing Lula.
Just hours after publication, Moraes ordered the house arrest of Bolsonaro, seemingly timed to distract from the nakedly illegal behavior we exposed in the January 8 Files. Nevertheless, our investigation was covered by CNN and has over 7 million views on X.
This collaboration with Brazilian journalists reflects one of CW’s core investigative models going forward: international partnerships analyzing original materials to expose sweeping abuses of power.
We will continue our free speech work in Brazil, where the Supreme Court recently moved to expand its authority over online speech by forcing platforms to preemptively censor content it labels as “hate speech” or “anti-democratic.” In mid-July, President Trump imposed a travel ban on the Supreme Court Justices persecuting Bolsonaro. He also sanctioned Moraes under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program.
As reported by CNN, I had to submit a formal request to Moraes to interview Felipe Martins, advisor to former President Bolsonaro, who claims he was unjustly imprisoned and tortured. If my request is denied, it will represent a major blow to freedom of the press in Brazil.
The Censorship Industrial Complex’s Return to Power
Despite a growing backlash, the architects of censorship have expanded their efforts across allied democracies, using legislation, courts, and international coordination to impose new restrictions on speech. Here’s just a glimpse of what’s happened in the last few months alone:
Ireland: The former CIA Director, John Brennan, joined a closed-door meeting in Ireland alongside other figures with ties to security and intelligence agencies, making clear that Western intelligence operatives are coordinating efforts to rebrand and revive their censorship agenda under the banner of legal reform.
UK: At the end of July, the UK Home Office appointed an elite team of police officers to monitor social media for anti-immigrant sentiment.
Germany: Authorities carried out 170 nationwide raids and arrests targeting citizens accused of “incitement to hatred” and “racist expression” online.
France: Weaponization of the judiciary continues in France, as French police raided the offices of the leading opposition party in early July. French prosecutors also opened a criminal investigation into Elon Musk's X, alleging foreign interference through algorithm manipulation and the spread of "hateful" content.
The European Union: The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) has begun to take effect, granting sweeping powers to unelected regulators to demand content takedowns, reorder algorithms, and impose platform-wide penalties across the continent.
Latin America: World leaders met in July to develop a global system of mass censorship.
The Elite Fear of Free Thought
Across the West, elite institutions are responding to growing public skepticism with fear, not transparency.
The phobic backlash we see from governing elites signals a refusal to tolerate ambiguity and a counterproductive drive to eliminate perceived threats rather than understand them. This fear is not of falsehoods that will “destroy democracy,” but of a public thinking for itself.
At CW, we believe the answer will always be freedom of expression for all, which is why we hold the annual Westminster Free Speech Forum. This year’s forum was a great success. With help from supporters like you, we have built a lasting strategic hub where international allies can map censorship threats, share frontline intelligence, and develop coordinated responses to censorship efforts across the Western world. The Forum catalyzed a series of collaborative projects, alliances, and strategies that will shape the next phase of this fight.
At the Forum, Brazilian Congressman Marcel van Hattem presented me with a "Legislative Merit Medal," the highest honor given by Brazil's Congress, in recognition of my reporting on censorship and advocacy for free speech.
Following the event, I traveled to Switzerland to meet with Swiss and German free speech allies to amplify their efforts and expose transnational censorship strategies.
Europe is facing a crisis of mass censorship and anti-democratic weaponization of government. We are therefore launching a new research project to document and expose the Censorship Industrial Complex in Europe. Using the same strategies that led us to success in dismantling US censorship, our new research initiative aims to:
Identify key organizations and individuals driving censorship in Europe
Identify links between “nongovernmental” organizations and intelligence/security services
Understand the roles of the EU, UN, NATO, and the US State Department in funding and promoting censorship and other narrative control efforts
Develop research reports to map European censorship
Use findings to challenge censorship legislation in Europe, particularly the Digital Services Act (DSA)
CW is taking the fight directly to those in power, exposing elite coordination and demanding accountability. But to truly build a free speech movement, to drive public narrative, and to shift cultural momentum, we must also meet the public where they are. That means creating a case for free speech that resonates with ordinary people, not just policymakers.
That’s why we’re launching one of our most ambitious projects to date. And we want you to be a part of it.
The Censorship Files Documentary
CW is producing The Censorship Files, a feature-length documentary film in collaboration with Matt Taibbi and Emergent Order. Built from exclusive footage, The Censorship Files will translate our research into a compelling narrative designed to reach mass audiences. It will reveal the structure and reach of the global censorship regime and reaffirm fundamental principles of free speech.
To complete this project and reach the audiences who need it most, we need your support.
Click below to donate, or reach out to our Director of Development, Lily Markle, at admin@civilizationworks.org to learn more about supporting The Censorship Files and our broader mission.
As we continue to fight for free speech across the Western world, CW is continuing its rigorous research and advocacy in other areas. From exposing institutional decay to defending environmental integrity and medical ethics, we are leading the fight for civilization itself. Join us.
Michael
