US Denies Visas to Ex-EU Commissioner and Others Over Social Media Policies
American diplomatic officials declared it would deny visas to five individuals, including a former EU commissioner, for allegedly seeking to "coerce" American online companies into suppressing opinions they disagree with.
"These radical activists and aggressive non-profits have advanced suppression campaigns by other governments - in each case focusing on US voices and US firms," remarked Secretary of State the official.
The former European tech regulator implied that a "targeted campaign" was underway.
Breton was described as the "key designer" of the European Union's online content law, which mandates content moderation on digital platforms.
A Contentious Law
Yet, it has angered some US conservatives who view it as an attempt to silence conservative viewpoints. EU authorities rejects this characterization.
Breton has clashed with Elon Musk, owner of platform X, over obligations to follow EU rules.
The European Commission recently fined X €120m over its verification system – the first fine under the DSA. It said the platform's system was "deceptive" because the firm was not "properly authenticating users".
As a countermove, Musk's site blocked the European body from running advertisements on its platform.
Responses and Additional Restrictions
Reacting to the entry restriction, Breton posted on X: "To our American friends: Speech suppression does not lie where you think it is."
Another listed individual, who heads the British Global Disinformation Index (GDI), was included in the sanctions.
US Undersecretary of State Sarah B Rogers alleged the GDI of using American public funds "to encourage censorship and blacklisting of US expression and media".
A representative for the group said the entry bans as "a repressive move on free speech and a blatant example of government censorship".
"Their actions today are immoral, illegal, and contrary to American values," they stated.
Imran Ahmed of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a non-governmental organization that combats digital hatred and false information, was similarly issued a ban.
Rogers labeled Mr Ahmed a "primary partner with campaigns to misuse the state apparatus against US citizens".
Also subject to bans were Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of HateAid, which the State Department said helped enforce the DSA.
Responding, the two CEOs called it an "act of repression by a administration that is increasingly disregarding the legal principles".
"We will not be intimidated by a government that uses claims of suppression to muzzle those who defend human rights," they concluded.
Official Rationale
Rubio said that action was initiated to enact visa restrictions on "agents of the global censorship-industrial complex" who would be "typically prohibited from entering the United States".
"President Trump has been explicit that his national sovereignty foreign policy opposes infringements of US autonomy. Extraterritorial overreach by overseas regulators aimed at American speech is no exception," he added.