The EU could “act quickly and firmly” in response to what it calls “unwarranted” visa bans issued by the United States against five Europeans involved in fighting online hate and disinformation, a European Commission spokesperson has said.
EU Officials Decry US Move as ‘Intimidation’
Officials from Europe such as the French president charged Washington of “bullying and threats”, after the visa restrictions targeted individuals who have been central to campaigns to enact legislation governing American tech companies.
“For too long, ideologues in Europe 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 no longer tolerate such actions of extraterritorial censorship.”
Broad Criticism From EU Nations
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials supported France in condemning the decision.
The bans were imposed this week against an ex-European commissioner who helped draft the bloc’s digital governance law, as well as four anti-disinformation campaigners, from Germany and the United Kingdom.
A Deepening Dispute Regarding Governance
The DSA is seen by US officials as a form of censorship, whereas EU authorities argue the regulations are necessary to control inflammatory language and falsehoods.
This row threatens to become part of a far wider ongoing cultural and political conflict involving the current US administration and European institutions.
Additional Updates Reported Today
In other judicial news:
- A US district judge has blocked efforts to reduce federal homeland security funding to states that do not comply with certain immigration enforcement policies. The official ruled the action was “a further instance” of linking federal aid to adherence to directives.
- Authorization was issued for the deployment of 350 national guard members to New Orleans ahead of the holiday period, coinciding with an active immigration enforcement operation.
- A Pacific Island nation will consent to take in dozens of migrants from the US in exchange for additional aid, after signing a formal agreement with Washington.
Furthermore, a congressional representative has filed a lawsuit to demand the stripping of a political figure’s name from a well-known cultural institution in the capital.
Analysts point out that recent statements regarding foreign petroleum resources align with a wider ideology in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, leading to parallels with historical international actions.
