This thesis deals with fundamental rights, freedom of speech and their limits in the context of the European Union and the digital age. Freedom of speech is a key element for a well-functioning democracy, but it can also be a tool for spreading illegal content,hate speech or even misinformation. Hence it can be considered a double-edged sword where fundamental rights are protected by regulation of freedom of speech, but they are also compromised with that exact same regulation. With the arrival of modern technology and the increasing influence of social media, uncertainty of the potential harms these technologies might pose is also increasing. It is therefore important to see how the European Union sets its rules for technology giants and their ordinary users with regard to freedom of expression and fundamental rights. The European Union is currently in the legislative process negotiating over the Digital Services Act package which is a parallel initiative to the European Democracy Action Plan. This thesis will take a closer look at how the regulation of the digital world is justified, with a specific focus on arguments regarding freedom of speech and fundamental rights. In depth, it will try to find out what are the different types of stances and priorities in the European institutions for regulation of Big Tech within the institutions of the EU. It will also seek to see whether the EU inclines more to regulation of freedom of speech or if it tries to seek a different solution without compromising freedom of speech. In this specific context it will be interesting to see the interaction of the European institutions during the legislative process. Europe is not a newcomer to the regulation of hate speech given the historical heritage of WWII; it is therefore important to see how it deals with the regulation of the same principles in the ever-growing digital age. The thesis will try to answer these current puzzling questions by means of discourse and content analysis.