The EU might “respond swiftly and decisively” in response to what it calls “unwarranted” visa bans imposed by the US on five Europeans working on combating online hate and misinformation, an EU official has said.
European Leaders Condemn US Move as ‘Intimidation’
European leaders such as the French president accused the US administration of “coercion and intimidation”, after the visa restrictions were placed on figures who have been at the heart of campaigns to introduce legislation governing US-based technology firms.
“For too long, European activists have led organised efforts to pressure US companies to suppress US perspectives they oppose,” wrote the US secretary of state in a social media post. “This government will no longer tolerate such actions of extraterritorial censorship.”
Broad Criticism Across Europe
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined France in criticizing the decision.
The bans were imposed on Tuesday on a former EU commissioner who helped draft the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA), along with several anti-disinformation campaigners, from two in Germany and two in the UK.
A Deepening Dispute Over Regulation
The DSA is seen by Washington as a form of censorship, while European leaders argue the regulations are essential to control inflammatory language and disinformation.
This disagreement threatens to become a facet of a much broader existing political and ideological clash between the current US administration and European institutions.
Additional Updates in the News
In related judicial news:
- A US district judge has halted attempts to reduce security grants to states which resist specific federal immigration rules. The official stated the action was “a further instance” of linking government assistance to adherence to directives.
- Authorization was issued for the dispatch of 350 national guard members to a major US city prior to the holiday period, coinciding with an active border security initiative.
- A Pacific Island nation has agreed to take in dozens of individuals from the US in return for increased assistance, after concluding a memorandum of understanding with Washington.
Additionally, a Democratic lawmaker has initiated legal action to demand the stripping of a political figure’s name from a prominent performing arts center in the capital.
Experts have also noted that comments regarding foreign petroleum resources reflect a broader belief in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, leading to parallels with historical international actions.
