The EU could “act quickly and firmly” in response to what it deems “unwarranted” visa bans issued by the US against five Europeans working on combating online hate and misinformation, an EU official has said.
European Leaders Decry US Action as ‘Intimidation’
European leaders including the French president accused the US administration of “bullying and threats”, following the travel bans were placed on individuals who have been central to efforts to introduce legislation regulating American tech companies.
“For far too long, ideologues in Europe have spearheaded coordinated campaigns to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they disagree with,” wrote a senior US official in a social media post. “This government will not stand for such actions of extraterritorial censorship.”
Broad Criticism Across Europe
Nations including Germany, Spain, and the UK, alongside numerous EU representatives supported the French president in criticizing the move.
The bans were imposed this week on a former EU commissioner who helped draft the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), along with four anti-disinformation campaigners, from Germany and the United Kingdom.
A Deepening Dispute Regarding Governance
The DSA is viewed by Washington as a form of censorship, while European leaders contend the rules are necessary to combat hate speech and falsehoods.
This disagreement risks becoming part of a much broader existing political and ideological clash between Washington and European institutions.
Additional Updates Reported Today
In related legal developments:
- A federal judge has halted efforts to cut security grants to states which resist certain immigration enforcement policies. The official ruled the action was “another example” of tying federal aid to policy compliance.
- Approval was given for the deployment of hundreds of national guard troops to a major US city ahead of the new year, alongside an active border security initiative.
- A Pacific Island nation has agreed to take in dozens of migrants from the US in return for additional aid, following signing a formal agreement with Washington.
Additionally, a Democratic lawmaker has initiated legal action seeking the stripping of a political figure’s name from a prominent performing arts center in the capital.
Experts point out that recent statements regarding Venezuelan oil align with a wider ideology in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, drawing comparisons with past foreign policy actions.
