The EU might “respond swiftly and decisively” against what it calls “unwarranted” visa bans issued by the US on five European individuals working on combating digital hatred and misinformation, a European Commission spokesperson has said.
European Leaders Decry US Action as ‘Intimidation’
European leaders such as the French president charged Washington of “coercion and intimidation”, following the visa restrictions targeted individuals who have been at the heart of efforts to enact laws regulating American tech companies.
“For too long, European activists have spearheaded organised efforts to pressure US companies to suppress US perspectives they disagree with,” wrote a senior US official in a social media post. “This government will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of censorship beyond its borders.”
Broad Criticism From EU Nations
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials supported France in condemning the move.
The restrictions were enacted on Tuesday on an ex-European commissioner who helped draft the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA), as well as several activists fighting false information, from Germany and the United Kingdom.
A Deepening Dispute Over Regulation
The DSA is seen by Washington as a form of censorship, while European leaders argue the rules are essential to combat hate speech and disinformation.
This row threatens to become part of a much broader ongoing cultural and political conflict between Washington and Europe.
Additional Updates Reported Today
In other legal news:
- A federal judge has halted attempts to cut security grants to states which resist specific federal immigration rules. The official ruled the action was “a further instance” of tying federal aid to adherence to directives.
- Authorization was issued for the dispatch of hundreds of national guard troops to a major US city prior to the new year, coinciding with an active border security initiative.
- The nation of Palau will consent to accept dozens of migrants from the US in return for increased assistance, following concluding a memorandum of understanding with US authorities.
Furthermore, a congressional representative has initiated legal action seeking the removal of a political figure’s name from a prominent cultural institution in Washington DC.
Analysts have also noted that comments regarding Venezuelan oil align with a wider ideology in some quarters of “economic expansionism”, leading to parallels with historical international actions.
