The European Union might “act quickly and firmly” in response to what it calls “unwarranted” visa bans issued by the US on five European individuals working on combating online hate and disinformation, a European Commission spokesperson has said.
EU Officials Decry US Action as ‘Intimidation’
European leaders including the French president charged the US administration of “coercion and intimidation”, after the travel bans were placed on individuals that were central to campaigns to enact laws governing American tech companies.
“For far too long, European activists have led coordinated campaigns to pressure US companies to suppress US perspectives they oppose,” wrote the US secretary of state online. “This government will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”
Broad Criticism From EU Nations
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined France in criticizing the decision.
The bans were enacted on Tuesday on an ex-European commissioner involved in crafting the bloc’s digital governance law, along with several anti-disinformation campaigners, including two in Germany and two in the UK.
An Escalating Conflict Over Regulation
The DSA is viewed by Washington as a form of censorship, while EU authorities argue the regulations are essential to control hate speech and falsehoods.
This row threatens to become part of a far wider ongoing political and ideological clash between the current US administration and Europe.
Additional Updates in the News
In other legal developments:
- A US district judge has halted attempts to reduce federal homeland security funding to states that do not comply with certain immigration enforcement policies. The judge stated the case was “a further instance” of tying federal aid to policy compliance.
- Authorization was issued for the dispatch of hundreds of national guard troops to a major US city ahead of the new year, alongside an ongoing border security initiative.
- The nation of Palau will consent to accept a limited number of migrants from the US in exchange for increased assistance, following concluding a formal agreement with US authorities.
Additionally, a congressional representative has filed a lawsuit to demand the stripping of a political figure’s name from a prominent performing arts center in the capital.
Analysts have also noted that comments regarding foreign petroleum resources reflect a broader belief in some quarters of “economic expansionism”, drawing comparisons with historical international strategies.
