The EU might “act quickly and firmly” against what it deems “unjustified” travel bans issued by the US on five Europeans working on combating digital hatred and disinformation, a European Commission spokesperson has said.
European Leaders Decry US Action as ‘Coercion’
Officials from Europe including Emmanuel Macron accused the US administration of “bullying and threats”, after the visa restrictions targeted figures that were at the heart of efforts to introduce laws regulating American tech companies.
“For too long, European activists have spearheaded organised efforts to pressure American platforms to suppress US perspectives they disagree with,” stated the US secretary of state in a social media post. “The current administration will not stand for such actions of censorship beyond its borders.”
Broad Criticism From EU Nations
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined the French president in condemning the decision.
The bans were enacted this week on an ex-European commissioner who helped draft the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA), as well as four anti-disinformation campaigners, from two in Germany and two in the UK.
A Deepening Dispute Over Regulation
The DSA is seen by US officials as a form of censorship, while European leaders contend the rules are necessary to control inflammatory language and disinformation.
This disagreement risks becoming a facet of a far wider existing political and ideological clash involving Washington and Europe.
Additional Updates in the News
In related legal developments:
- A US district judge has blocked attempts to reduce federal homeland security funding to states which resist specific federal immigration rules. The official stated the case was “a further instance” of tying government assistance to policy compliance.
- Approval was given for the dispatch of 350 national guard members to New Orleans ahead of the holiday period, alongside an active immigration enforcement operation.
- A Pacific Island nation will consent to accept a limited number of individuals from the US in return for additional aid, after concluding a memorandum of understanding with US authorities.
Furthermore, a Democratic lawmaker has filed a lawsuit seeking the removal of a political figure’s name from a prominent performing arts center in the capital.
Analysts have also noted that recent statements regarding Venezuelan oil reflect a wider ideology in certain circles of “economic expansionism”, leading to parallels with past foreign policy strategies.
