The EU could “act quickly and firmly” in response to what it calls “unjustified” visa bans imposed by the United States against five European individuals involved in combating online hate and misinformation, an EU official has said.
European Leaders Condemn US Move as ‘Coercion’
European leaders including the French president accused the US administration of “coercion and intimidation”, following the travel bans targeted individuals that were central to efforts to enact laws regulating US-based technology firms.
“For too long, European activists have led organised efforts to coerce American platforms to suppress US perspectives they oppose,” wrote the US secretary of state 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 joined France in condemning the decision.
The restrictions were imposed this week on a former EU commissioner who helped draft the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA), as well as several activists fighting false information, including two in Germany and two in the UK.
A Deepening Dispute Over Regulation
The DSA is viewed by Washington as a form of censorship, whereas EU authorities contend the regulations are necessary to combat inflammatory language and disinformation.
This disagreement threatens to become a facet of a far wider existing cultural and political conflict between Washington and European institutions.
Other Developments Reported Today
In related legal developments:
- A federal judge has blocked efforts to reduce security grants to states that do not comply with certain immigration enforcement policies. The official stated the action was “another example” of tying federal aid to policy compliance.
- Authorization was issued for the dispatch of 350 national guard members to New Orleans ahead of the new year, coinciding with an ongoing immigration enforcement operation.
- A Pacific Island nation has agreed to take in dozens of individuals from the US in exchange for increased assistance, after signing a memorandum of understanding with Washington.
Furthermore, a congressional representative has initiated legal action to demand the stripping of the current president’s name from a prominent performing arts center in Washington DC.
Analysts have also noted that comments regarding foreign petroleum resources align with a wider ideology in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, drawing comparisons with historical international actions.
