The EU could “act quickly and firmly” in response to what it calls “unwarranted” travel bans issued by the US on five Europeans working on fighting online hate and misinformation, an EU official has said.
EU Officials Decry US Action as ‘Intimidation’
European leaders including Emmanuel Macron charged Washington of “bullying and threats”, following the visa restrictions targeted figures who have been at the heart of efforts to introduce legislation regulating American tech companies.
“For too long, European activists have spearheaded coordinated campaigns to coerce American platforms to punish US perspectives they disagree with,” stated a senior US official online. “The current administration will not stand for these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”
Broad Criticism Across Europe
Nations including Germany, Spain, and the UK, alongside numerous EU representatives joined France in criticizing the decision.
The bans were enacted on Tuesday on a former EU commissioner who helped draft the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), as well as several anti-disinformation campaigners, from Germany and the United Kingdom.
A Deepening Dispute Regarding Governance
This European legislation is seen by US officials as a form of censorship, while European leaders contend the regulations are necessary to control hate speech and disinformation.
This disagreement risks becoming part of a much broader ongoing cultural and political conflict between Washington and Europe.
Other Developments in the News
In related legal developments:
- A federal judge has halted efforts to reduce security grants to states which resist certain immigration enforcement policies. The judge ruled the case was “a further instance” of linking government assistance to adherence to directives.
- Authorization was issued for the deployment of 350 national guard members to a major US city ahead of the new year, alongside an active immigration enforcement operation.
- A Pacific Island nation has agreed to accept a limited number of individuals from the US in return for additional aid, after concluding a memorandum of understanding with Washington.
Additionally, a Democratic lawmaker has filed a lawsuit seeking the removal of a political figure’s name from a prominent cultural institution in Washington DC.
Experts have also noted that comments regarding foreign petroleum resources align with a broader belief in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, leading to parallels with past foreign policy actions.
