EU Could Respond to ‘Unwarranted’ US Visa Bans, Official States

The EU could “act quickly and firmly” against what it calls “unwarranted” travel bans imposed by the United States against five Europeans involved in combating online hate and disinformation, an EU official has said.

European Leaders Condemn US Move as ‘Coercion’

European leaders including Emmanuel Macron accused the US administration of “bullying and threats”, after the travel bans targeted figures who have been at the heart of efforts to introduce laws regulating American tech companies.

“For far too long, European activists have spearheaded coordinated campaigns to pressure US companies to punish American viewpoints they disagree with,” wrote the US secretary of state in a social media post. “The current administration will not stand for such actions of censorship beyond its borders.”

Widespread Condemnation Across Europe

Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials supported France in condemning the decision.

The bans were imposed this week against an ex-European commissioner involved in crafting the bloc’s digital governance law, along with several anti-disinformation campaigners, from two in Germany and two in the UK.

An Escalating Conflict Over Regulation

The DSA is seen by US officials as a form of censorship, while EU authorities contend the rules are necessary to control hate speech and disinformation.

This disagreement risks becoming a facet of a far wider ongoing political and ideological clash between Washington and European institutions.

Other Developments in the News

In related judicial developments:

• A US district judge has blocked efforts to cut federal homeland security funding to states which resist certain immigration enforcement policies. The judge stated the case was “another example” of tying government assistance to policy compliance.
• Approval was given for the dispatch of hundreds of national guard troops to New Orleans ahead of the new year, coinciding with an active immigration enforcement operation.
• A Pacific Island nation has agreed to take in a limited number of migrants from the US in return for additional aid, following concluding a formal agreement with US authorities.

Additionally, a Democratic lawmaker has filed a lawsuit to demand the stripping of the current president’s name from a well-known cultural institution in the capital.

Experts point out that recent statements regarding Venezuelan oil reflect a broader belief in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, drawing comparisons with historical international actions.