Framing a societal issue as a matter of national security is a powerful motivator that, when used strategically, can elicit unprecedented outcomes. Recently, the EU adopted a novel regulation aimed...Show moreFraming a societal issue as a matter of national security is a powerful motivator that, when used strategically, can elicit unprecedented outcomes. Recently, the EU adopted a novel regulation aimed at establishing rules upon one of the most unrestrained areas: online platforms. The adoption of the Digital Services Act, marked a shift within two of the most regarded values in democratic societies: freedom and security, leaning heavily towards the latter due to the restrictive notions that are now being promoted upon a previously unregulated realm. This situation leads to wonder, how does the EU justify the tradeoff between freedom and security? Through a discourse analysis methodology, that studied the preeminence of a securitizing discourse, versus two other rival frames: Novelty, understood as seeking to hold a first mover advantage at regulating a sector and Equity, as a yearning to promote EU values through regulation, it was found that the negotiation process of the DSA showed strong indications of a securitizing discourse, which frames the adverse effects of online platforms as a matter of national security. This leads to conclude that EU policymakers securitized the discourse around online platforms to succeed where others failed at regulating the internet.Show less
