The EU could “act quickly and firmly” against what it calls “unjustified” visa bans issued by the United States on five Europeans working on combating online hate and disinformation, a European Commission spokesperson has said.
European Leaders Condemn US Move as ‘Intimidation’
European leaders including Emmanuel Macron charged the US administration of “bullying and threats”, following the visa restrictions targeted individuals that were central to campaigns to enact laws regulating US-based technology firms.
“For far too long, European activists have spearheaded organised efforts to pressure US companies to suppress US perspectives they oppose,” stated a senior US official online. “This government will not stand for such actions of extraterritorial censorship.”
Broad Criticism Across Europe
Nations including Germany, Spain, and the UK, alongside numerous EU representatives joined France in criticizing the decision.
The bans were enacted on Tuesday against a former EU commissioner who helped draft the EU’s digital governance law, along with four activists fighting false information, including two in Germany and two in the UK.
A Deepening Dispute Regarding Governance
The DSA is viewed by Washington as a form of censorship, while EU authorities contend the rules are essential to combat inflammatory language and falsehoods.
This disagreement risks becoming a facet of a much broader existing cultural and political conflict between Washington and European institutions.
Additional Updates Reported Today
In other judicial developments:
- A federal judge has halted attempts to reduce security grants to states that do not comply with certain immigration enforcement policies. The judge ruled the case was “a further instance” of linking government assistance to adherence to directives.
- Approval was given for the dispatch of 350 national guard members to a major US city ahead of the holiday period, coinciding with an active border security initiative.
- The nation of Palau will consent to take in a limited number of migrants from the US in return for additional aid, after concluding a formal agreement with US authorities.
Additionally, a Democratic lawmaker has initiated legal action seeking the stripping of a political figure’s name from a well-known cultural institution in the capital.
Analysts point out that comments regarding foreign petroleum resources reflect a broader belief in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, leading to parallels with past foreign policy actions.
