The EU could “act quickly and firmly” in response to what it calls “unjustified” visa bans issued by the United States against five Europeans involved in fighting online hate and disinformation, an EU official has said.
European Leaders Decry US Move as ‘Intimidation’
European leaders including Emmanuel Macron accused Washington of “coercion and intimidation”, following the travel bans were placed on figures that were at the heart of efforts to introduce legislation regulating US-based technology firms.
“For too long, ideologues in Europe have spearheaded coordinated campaigns to pressure US companies to suppress US perspectives they disagree with,” stated the US secretary of state online. “The current administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of censorship beyond its borders.”
Broad Criticism Across Europe
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined the French president in condemning the decision.
The restrictions were enacted this week on an ex-European commissioner who helped draft the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), as well as four anti-disinformation campaigners, including two in Germany and two in the UK.
A Deepening Dispute Over Regulation
The DSA is viewed by Washington as a type of speech restriction, while European leaders contend the rules are essential to control inflammatory language and disinformation.
This disagreement threatens to become part of a far wider ongoing cultural and political conflict involving the current US administration and European institutions.
Additional Updates in the News
In other judicial developments:
- A federal judge has halted attempts to reduce security grants to local governments which resist specific federal immigration rules. The official ruled the action 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 holiday period, coinciding with an ongoing immigration enforcement operation.
- The nation of Palau has agreed to take in dozens of individuals from the US in return for additional aid, after signing a formal agreement with US authorities.
Additionally, a congressional representative has initiated legal action to demand the removal of a political figure’s name from a well-known cultural institution in Washington DC.
Experts have also noted that recent statements regarding foreign petroleum resources align with a broader belief in certain circles of “resource imperialism”, leading to parallels with past foreign policy actions.
