U.S. Bars Five Europeans It Says Pressured Tech Firms to Censor American Viewpoints
The Trump administration has imposed visa bans on five European citizens, accusing them of efforts to influence U.S. tech companies to suppress American speech.
The United States has barred five European individuals from entering the country, accusing them of leading efforts to pressure American technology platforms to censor or suppress viewpoints they disagree with, according to the U.S. State Department.
This action reflects growing tensions between Washington and European capitals over digital regulation and free speech.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterised the targeted Europeans as "radical" activists and representatives of "weaponized" nongovernmental organisations in posts on the social media platform X, saying that for "far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organised efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose".
The Trump administration said it will no longer tolerate what it described as "egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship".
The five Europeans named by U.S. officials include Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate; Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, leaders of the German organisation HateAid; Clare Melford, who runs the Global Disinformation Index; and former European Union Commissioner Thierry Breton, who oversaw digital affairs and was instrumental in shaping the EU’s Digital Services Act.
The visa restrictions are part of a policy announced in May to restrict entry to foreigners deemed responsible for censoring protected speech in the United States.
The State Department said the measures are intended to push back against what it views as foreign censorship campaigns affecting American citizens and U.S. companies.
European leaders have strongly condemned the move, arguing that the digital rules at issue, such as the EU’s Digital Services Act, were democratically adopted and do not exert extraterritorial control over U.S. platforms.
French President Emmanuel Macron and officials from Germany, the United Kingdom, and the European Union warned that the U.S. measures threaten transatlantic cooperation and could prompt reciprocal actions.
They emphasised that European digital regulation is designed to protect free expression and safety online, not to suppress speech.
Former EU Commissioner Breton criticised the visa ban on social media, likening it to a "witch hunt" and arguing that censorship concerns are being misapplied.
The discord underscores a broader clash between U.S. and European approaches to technology governance, digital sovereignty, and the limits of regulatory reach.
This action reflects growing tensions between Washington and European capitals over digital regulation and free speech.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterised the targeted Europeans as "radical" activists and representatives of "weaponized" nongovernmental organisations in posts on the social media platform X, saying that for "far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organised efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose".
The Trump administration said it will no longer tolerate what it described as "egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship".
The five Europeans named by U.S. officials include Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate; Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, leaders of the German organisation HateAid; Clare Melford, who runs the Global Disinformation Index; and former European Union Commissioner Thierry Breton, who oversaw digital affairs and was instrumental in shaping the EU’s Digital Services Act.
The visa restrictions are part of a policy announced in May to restrict entry to foreigners deemed responsible for censoring protected speech in the United States.
The State Department said the measures are intended to push back against what it views as foreign censorship campaigns affecting American citizens and U.S. companies.
European leaders have strongly condemned the move, arguing that the digital rules at issue, such as the EU’s Digital Services Act, were democratically adopted and do not exert extraterritorial control over U.S. platforms.
French President Emmanuel Macron and officials from Germany, the United Kingdom, and the European Union warned that the U.S. measures threaten transatlantic cooperation and could prompt reciprocal actions.
They emphasised that European digital regulation is designed to protect free expression and safety online, not to suppress speech.
Former EU Commissioner Breton criticised the visa ban on social media, likening it to a "witch hunt" and arguing that censorship concerns are being misapplied.
The discord underscores a broader clash between U.S. and European approaches to technology governance, digital sovereignty, and the limits of regulatory reach.
