The EU could “act quickly and firmly” in response to what it calls “unjustified” visa bans issued by the United States against five Europeans working on combating digital hatred and misinformation, a European Commission spokesperson has said.
EU Officials Decry US Action as ‘Coercion’
Officials from Europe such as Emmanuel Macron charged the US administration of “coercion and intimidation”, after the travel bans targeted figures that were at the heart of campaigns to enact laws regulating US-based technology firms.
“For too long, European activists have led coordinated campaigns to pressure US companies to punish American viewpoints they oppose,” wrote the US secretary of state in a social media post. “This government will not stand for such actions of extraterritorial censorship.”
Widespread Condemnation From EU Nations
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined France in criticizing the move.
The bans were enacted on Tuesday against an ex-European commissioner who helped draft the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), as well as several anti-disinformation campaigners, including two in Germany and two in the UK.
A Deepening Dispute Over Regulation
This European legislation is viewed by Washington as a type of speech restriction, while European leaders contend the rules are necessary to combat inflammatory language and disinformation.
This row threatens to become a facet of a far wider existing cultural and political conflict between the current US administration and Europe.
Additional Updates in the News
In other judicial developments:
- A US district judge has halted efforts to reduce security grants to local governments that do not comply with certain immigration enforcement policies. The official ruled the action was “a further instance” of tying government assistance to policy compliance.
- Approval was given for the dispatch of hundreds of national guard troops to a major US city ahead of the holiday period, coinciding with an ongoing border security initiative.
- The nation of Palau has agreed to take in dozens of individuals from the US in exchange for increased assistance, after concluding a formal agreement with US authorities.
Additionally, a Democratic lawmaker has initiated legal action seeking the removal of a political figure’s name from a prominent performing arts center in Washington DC.
Analysts have also noted that comments regarding Venezuelan oil align with a broader belief in some quarters of “economic expansionism”, drawing comparisons with past foreign policy actions.
