The EU might “act quickly and firmly” against what it calls “unwarranted” travel bans issued by the United States on five Europeans working on combating online hate and disinformation, an EU official stated.
EU Officials Condemn US Action as ‘Coercion’
European leaders such as the French president accused the US administration of “coercion and intimidation”, after the travel bans were placed on figures who have been central to efforts to enact legislation governing American tech companies.
“For too long, European activists have led organised efforts to coerce US companies to suppress US perspectives they oppose,” wrote a senior US official online. “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 France in criticizing the move.
The bans were imposed on Tuesday against an ex-European commissioner involved in crafting the EU’s digital governance law, along with several activists fighting false information, from two in Germany and two in the UK.
A Deepening Dispute Over Regulation
The DSA is viewed by US officials as a form of censorship, while EU authorities argue the rules are essential to combat inflammatory language and disinformation.
This row risks becoming part of a much broader existing cultural and political conflict between Washington and Europe.
Additional Updates in the News
In related legal developments:
- A federal judge has blocked attempts to cut security grants to states which resist specific federal immigration rules. The judge stated the case was “another example” of linking federal aid to adherence to directives.
- Authorization was issued for the deployment of 350 national guard members to a major US city prior to the new year, coinciding with an active immigration enforcement operation.
- The nation of Palau has agreed to take in dozens of individuals from the US in exchange for additional aid, following concluding a memorandum of understanding with US authorities.
Additionally, a congressional representative has filed a lawsuit seeking the stripping of the current president’s name from a well-known performing arts center in the capital.
Analysts have also noted that comments regarding Venezuelan oil reflect a wider ideology in some quarters of “economic expansionism”, drawing comparisons with historical international strategies.
