The EU might “respond swiftly and decisively” against what it calls “unjustified” travel bans imposed by the US against five European individuals working on combating digital hatred and disinformation, an EU official has said.
EU Officials Condemn US Action as ‘Intimidation’
Officials from Europe including the French president accused the US administration of “coercion and intimidation”, after the travel bans were placed on individuals who have been at the heart of efforts to introduce laws regulating US-based technology firms.
“For far too long, European activists have led organised efforts to pressure American platforms to suppress US perspectives they oppose,” stated a senior US official in a social media post. “The current administration will no longer tolerate such actions of extraterritorial censorship.”
Broad Criticism Across Europe
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials supported the French president in criticizing the decision.
The bans were enacted on Tuesday on a former EU commissioner involved in crafting the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA), as well as four anti-disinformation campaigners, from Germany and the United Kingdom.
An Escalating Conflict Over Regulation
This European legislation is viewed by US officials as a form of censorship, while EU authorities argue the regulations are essential to control inflammatory language and disinformation.
This disagreement risks becoming part of a much broader existing cultural and political conflict involving Washington and European institutions.
Additional Updates Reported Today
In other legal developments:
- A US district judge has blocked attempts to cut federal homeland security funding to local governments which resist specific federal immigration rules. The judge stated the action was “another example” of tying federal aid to policy compliance.
- Approval was given for the deployment of 350 national guard members to New Orleans prior to the new year, coinciding with an active immigration enforcement operation.
- A Pacific Island nation has agreed to take in dozens of migrants from the US in return for increased assistance, after signing a formal agreement with US authorities.
Additionally, a congressional representative has initiated legal action seeking the stripping of a political figure’s name from a prominent performing arts center in Washington DC.
Experts have also noted that comments regarding Venezuelan oil align with a broader belief in certain circles of “economic expansionism”, drawing comparisons with past foreign policy strategies.
