EU Could Respond to ‘Unwarranted’ US Travel Restrictions, Spokesperson Says
The EU might “act quickly and firmly” against what it calls “unwarranted” visa bans issued by the US against five Europeans involved in fighting digital hatred and misinformation, an EU official has said.
EU Officials Condemn US Action as ‘Intimidation’
European leaders including the French president charged Washington of “coercion and intimidation”, following the travel bans were placed on figures who have been central to campaigns to introduce laws regulating US-based technology firms.
“For far too long, ideologues in Europe have spearheaded coordinated campaigns to coerce US companies to punish American viewpoints they disagree with,” stated the US secretary of state online. “This government will not stand for these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”
Widespread Condemnation Across Europe
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials supported France in condemning the decision.
The bans were enacted this week against a former EU commissioner who helped draft the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA), as well as four anti-disinformation campaigners, including two in Germany and two in the UK.
A Deepening Dispute Over Regulation
This European legislation is seen by US officials as a form of censorship, while EU authorities argue the rules are essential to combat hate speech and falsehoods.
This row risks becoming part of a far wider existing cultural and political conflict between Washington and Europe.
Additional Updates Reported Today
In related legal developments:
- A US district judge has blocked efforts to reduce security grants to local governments which resist specific federal immigration rules. The judge ruled the action was “another example” of tying government assistance to policy compliance.
- Authorization was issued for the dispatch of hundreds of national guard troops to New Orleans prior to the new year, coinciding with an active immigration enforcement operation.
- The nation of Palau has agreed to take in dozens of migrants from the US in exchange for additional aid, following concluding a formal agreement with Washington.
Furthermore, a congressional representative has initiated legal action seeking the stripping of the current president’s name from a prominent cultural institution in Washington DC.
Analysts have also noted that comments regarding Venezuelan oil reflect a broader belief in some quarters of “economic expansionism”, leading to parallels with past foreign policy actions.
