The EU could “act quickly and firmly” against what it deems “unwarranted” visa bans imposed by the United States on five Europeans involved in combating online hate and disinformation, an EU official has said.
European Leaders Decry US Move as ‘Intimidation’
Officials from Europe such as Emmanuel Macron accused the US administration of “coercion and intimidation”, after the travel bans were placed on figures that were central to campaigns to enact laws regulating American tech companies.
“For far too long, ideologues in Europe have spearheaded organised efforts to coerce 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 extraterritorial censorship.”
Broad Criticism Across Europe
Nations including Germany, Spain, and the UK, alongside numerous EU representatives supported the French president in condemning the move.
The bans were imposed this week against an ex-European commissioner who helped draft the bloc’s digital governance law, as well as several activists fighting false information, including two in Germany and two in the UK.
An Escalating Conflict Regarding Governance
This European legislation is seen by Washington as a type of speech restriction, while EU authorities contend the regulations are necessary to control hate speech and falsehoods.
This row risks becoming a facet of a much broader existing cultural and political conflict involving Washington and European institutions.
Additional Updates Reported Today
In other legal developments:
- A federal judge has blocked efforts to reduce security grants to states which resist certain immigration enforcement policies. The official ruled the case was “a further instance” of linking government assistance to policy compliance.
- Authorization was issued for the deployment of hundreds of national guard troops to New Orleans ahead of the holiday period, 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 increased assistance, after signing a formal agreement with Washington.
Additionally, a congressional representative has filed a lawsuit seeking the stripping of a political figure’s name from a prominent performing arts center in the capital.
Experts point out that comments regarding foreign petroleum resources reflect a wider ideology in certain circles of “resource imperialism”, leading to parallels with historical international strategies.
