🔗 Share this article European Union Might Respond to ‘Unjustified’ US Visa Bans, Spokesperson States The EU might “act quickly and firmly” in response to what it calls “unjustified” visa bans imposed by the United States against five European individuals working on fighting online hate and disinformation, a European Commission spokesperson stated. EU Officials Condemn US Action as ‘Intimidation’ European leaders including the French president accused the US administration of “coercion and intimidation”, after the travel bans targeted individuals who have been at the heart of efforts to enact legislation governing American tech companies. “For far too long, European activists have spearheaded organised efforts to coerce American platforms to suppress US perspectives they disagree with,” stated the US secretary of state 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 the French president in condemning the decision. The restrictions were imposed this week on an ex-European commissioner who helped draft the bloc’s digital governance law, as well as several activists fighting false information, from Germany and the United Kingdom. An Escalating Conflict Over Regulation The DSA is seen by Washington as a type of speech restriction, while European leaders argue the rules are necessary to control inflammatory language and disinformation. This disagreement risks becoming part of a far wider existing political and ideological clash between Washington and Europe. Other Developments Reported Today In related legal developments: A US district judge has halted efforts to cut federal homeland security funding to local governments which resist specific federal immigration rules. The judge stated the action was “a further instance” of linking federal aid to adherence to directives. Approval was given for the dispatch of hundreds of national guard troops to a major US city ahead of the new year, coinciding with an active border security initiative. A Pacific Island nation has agreed to accept a limited number of migrants from the US in exchange for additional aid, following concluding a memorandum of understanding with Washington. Additionally, a congressional representative has initiated legal action seeking the stripping of the current president’s name from a prominent performing arts center in the capital. Experts point out that recent statements regarding Venezuelan oil align with a broader belief in certain circles of “economic expansionism”, leading to parallels with historical international actions.
The EU might “act quickly and firmly” in response to what it calls “unjustified” visa bans imposed by the United States against five European individuals working on fighting online hate and disinformation, a European Commission spokesperson stated. EU Officials Condemn US Action as ‘Intimidation’ European leaders including the French president accused the US administration of “coercion and intimidation”, after the travel bans targeted individuals who have been at the heart of efforts to enact legislation governing American tech companies. “For far too long, European activists have spearheaded organised efforts to coerce American platforms to suppress US perspectives they disagree with,” stated the US secretary of state 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 the French president in condemning the decision. The restrictions were imposed this week on an ex-European commissioner who helped draft the bloc’s digital governance law, as well as several activists fighting false information, from Germany and the United Kingdom. An Escalating Conflict Over Regulation The DSA is seen by Washington as a type of speech restriction, while European leaders argue the rules are necessary to control inflammatory language and disinformation. This disagreement risks becoming part of a far wider existing political and ideological clash between Washington and Europe. Other Developments Reported Today In related legal developments: A US district judge has halted efforts to cut federal homeland security funding to local governments which resist specific federal immigration rules. The judge stated the action was “a further instance” of linking federal aid to adherence to directives. Approval was given for the dispatch of hundreds of national guard troops to a major US city ahead of the new year, coinciding with an active border security initiative. A Pacific Island nation has agreed to accept a limited number of migrants from the US in exchange for additional aid, following concluding a memorandum of understanding with Washington. Additionally, a congressional representative has initiated legal action seeking the stripping of the current president’s name from a prominent performing arts center in the capital. Experts point out that recent statements regarding Venezuelan oil align with a broader belief in certain circles of “economic expansionism”, leading to parallels with historical international actions.