US Rejects Visas to Ex-EU Commissioner and Others Regarding Online Platform Rules
American diplomatic officials announced it would deny visas to five individuals, including a former EU commissioner, for allegedly seeking to "pressure" American online companies into curtailing opinions they oppose.
"These radical activists and aggressive non-profits have promoted censorship crackdowns by other governments - in each case targeting American speakers and US firms," remarked US diplomat Marco Rubio.
Thierry Breton remarked that a "targeted campaign" was occurring.
Officials labeled Breton as the "architect" of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), which imposes content moderation on digital platforms.
A Divisive Regulation
However, it has angered certain right-leaning Americans who see it as seeking to censor conservative viewpoints. EU authorities rejects this characterization.
Breton has clashed with Elon Musk, owner of platform X, over obligations to follow EU rules.
EU regulators recently fined X 120 million euros over its verification system – the first fine under the DSA. It said the platform's system was "misleading" because the firm was not "meaningfully verifying users".
In response, the platform prevented the European body from making adverts on its platform.
Reactions and Broader Bans
Reacting to the entry restriction, the former commissioner wrote on X: "To our American friends: Speech suppression does not lie where you think it is."
Another listed individual, who leads the British Global Disinformation Index (GDI), was also listed.
A senior US diplomat the official accused the GDI of using US taxpayer money "to encourage censorship and blacklisting of US expression and press".
A representative for the group characterized the visa sanctions as "a repressive move on free expression and an egregious act of state-led suppression".
"Their actions today are immoral, illegal, and un-American," the spokesperson added.
Imran Ahmed of the an online hate watchdog, a nonprofit that fights online hate and false information, was similarly issued a ban.
The undersecretary labeled Mr Ahmed a "key collaborator with efforts to weaponize the government against American people".
Also subject to bans were two executives of HateAid, which the US officials said aided in implementing the DSA.
Responding, the two leaders called it an "attempt to silence by a administration that is increasingly disregarding the rule of law".
"We refuse to be silenced by a state that uses accusations of censorship to silence those who defend human rights," they added.
Official Rationale
The Secretary of State stated that steps had been taken to impose visa restrictions on "agents of the international suppression network" who would be "generally barred from entering the United States".
"President Trump has been clear that his America First diplomatic stance opposes infringements of US autonomy. Extraterritorial overreach by overseas regulators targeting American speech is no exception," he affirmed.
