The EU could “act quickly and firmly” in response to what it deems “unwarranted” travel bans imposed by the United States against five European individuals involved in combating digital hatred and misinformation, an EU official has said.
Officials from Europe including the French president accused the US administration of “bullying and threats”, after the visa restrictions were placed on individuals that were at the heart of efforts to introduce laws regulating American tech companies.
“For far too long, European activists have spearheaded organised efforts to coerce American platforms to suppress American viewpoints they disagree with,” wrote a senior US official online. “The current administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”
Nations including Germany, Spain, and the UK, alongside numerous EU representatives supported the French president in condemning the move.
The bans were imposed on Tuesday on an ex-European commissioner involved in crafting the bloc’s digital governance law, along with several activists fighting false information, from two in Germany and two in the UK.
The DSA is seen by Washington as a type of speech restriction, while EU authorities argue the rules are necessary to control inflammatory language and falsehoods.
This disagreement threatens to become part of a much broader ongoing cultural and political conflict involving the current US administration and European institutions.
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Additionally, a Democratic lawmaker has filed a lawsuit seeking the removal of the current president’s name from a prominent cultural institution in Washington DC.
Experts point out that recent statements regarding foreign petroleum resources reflect a broader belief in certain circles of “resource imperialism”, drawing comparisons with historical international strategies.
A tech journalist with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and digital innovation across global markets.
