EU Might Respond to ‘Unwarranted’ US Visa Bans, Official Says
The EU might “act quickly and firmly” against what it calls “unwarranted” travel bans imposed by the US against five European individuals working on fighting digital hatred and disinformation, an EU official has said.
EU Officials Condemn US Action as ‘Intimidation’
European leaders including Emmanuel Macron charged Washington of “coercion and intimidation”, following the visa restrictions targeted figures that were central to campaigns to introduce laws regulating US-based technology firms.
“For too long, European activists have led coordinated campaigns to coerce American platforms to suppress US perspectives they oppose,” wrote the US secretary of state online. “The current administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”
Widespread Condemnation From EU Nations
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials supported France in criticizing the decision.
The bans were enacted this week against a former EU commissioner involved in crafting the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), along with four activists fighting false information, including two in Germany and two in the UK.
An Escalating Conflict Over Regulation
The DSA is seen by Washington as a type of speech restriction, whereas European leaders contend the regulations are necessary to control inflammatory language and falsehoods.
This row threatens to become a facet of a far wider existing cultural and political conflict involving the current US administration and Europe.
Other Developments in the News
In related judicial news:
- A federal judge has blocked attempts to cut federal homeland security funding to states which resist certain immigration enforcement policies. The official ruled the case was “another example” of tying federal aid to adherence to directives.
- Approval was given for the dispatch of hundreds of national guard troops to New Orleans prior to the new year, alongside an active border security initiative.
- A Pacific Island nation has agreed to accept a limited number of individuals from the US in return for increased assistance, after concluding a formal agreement with US authorities.
Additionally, a congressional representative has filed a lawsuit seeking the removal of a political figure’s name from a prominent performing arts center in Washington DC.
Analysts point out that comments regarding Venezuelan oil align with a wider ideology in some quarters of “economic expansionism”, drawing comparisons with historical international actions.
