EU Might Retaliate to ‘Unjustified’ US Visa Bans, Official Says
The European Union might “act quickly and firmly” against what it calls “unwarranted” visa bans imposed by the US against five Europeans involved in combating online hate and disinformation, an EU official stated.
European Leaders Decry US Move as ‘Coercion’
European leaders such as the French president accused the US administration of “bullying and threats”, following the travel bans targeted individuals that were central to efforts to introduce laws regulating US-based technology firms.
“For too long, European activists have led organised efforts to pressure US companies to suppress US perspectives they disagree with,” wrote a senior US official in a social media post. “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 joined France in condemning the move.
The restrictions were imposed this week against a former EU commissioner who helped draft the EU’s digital governance law, along with four anti-disinformation campaigners, including two in Germany and two in the UK.
A Deepening Dispute Over Regulation
The DSA is seen by Washington as a form of censorship, while EU authorities contend the regulations are essential to control inflammatory language and disinformation.
This disagreement risks becoming part of a much broader ongoing cultural and political conflict between Washington and European institutions.
Other Developments Reported Today
In other legal news:
- A federal judge has halted efforts to reduce security grants to states which resist specific federal immigration rules. The judge ruled the action was “a further instance” of linking government assistance to policy compliance.
- Approval was given for the dispatch of 350 national guard members to New Orleans ahead of the holiday period, coinciding with an ongoing border security initiative.
- A Pacific Island nation has agreed to take in dozens of migrants from the US in return for additional aid, following concluding a formal agreement with US authorities.
Furthermore, a congressional representative has filed a lawsuit to demand the removal of the current president’s name from a well-known cultural institution in the capital.
Experts point out that comments regarding foreign petroleum resources align with a broader belief in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, drawing comparisons with past foreign policy actions.
