The United States Rejects Visas to Ex-EU Commissioner and Others Concerning Social Media Regulations
American diplomatic officials declared it would deny visas to five individuals, including a former EU commissioner, for allegedly seeking to "coerce" US-based social media platforms into curtailing opinions they oppose.
"These individuals and weaponized NGOs have advanced suppression campaigns by foreign states - in each case targeting American speakers and US firms," stated Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Thierry Breton remarked that a "witch hunt" was occurring.
Officials labeled Breton as the "architect" of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), which imposes content moderation on social media firms.
A Contentious Law
However, it has angered certain right-leaning Americans who see it as seeking to censor right-wing opinions. Brussels rejects this characterization.
The official has been in conflict with Elon Musk, owner of platform X, over obligations to adhere to European regulations.
The European Commission imposed a penalty on X 120 million euros over its blue tick badges – the first fine under the DSA. Regulators stated the platform's system was "deceptive" because the firm was not "properly authenticating users".
As a countermove, the platform blocked the Commission from running advertisements on its platform.
Reactions and Broader Bans
Reacting to the entry restriction, the former commissioner wrote on X: "Addressing the US: Speech suppression does not lie where you think it is."
Another listed individual, who heads the British Global Disinformation Index (GDI), was included in the sanctions.
A senior US diplomat Sarah B Rogers accused the GDI of using US taxpayer money "to encourage suppression and targeting of US expression and press".
A representative for the group characterized the entry bans as "a repressive move on free speech and an egregious act of government censorship".
"Their actions today are immoral, illegal, and contrary to American values," the spokesperson added.
Imran Ahmed of the an online hate watchdog, a nonprofit that combats digital hatred and false information, was also handed a ban.
The undersecretary labeled Mr Ahmed a "key collaborator with efforts to weaponize the state apparatus against American people".
Also subject to bans were two executives of HateAid, which the US officials said aided in implementing the DSA.
Responding, the two CEOs called it an "attempt to silence by a administration that is showing disregard for the legal principles".
"We will not be intimidated by a government that uses claims of suppression to silence those who defend fundamental freedoms," they added.
Official Rationale
Rubio said that steps had been taken to impose visa restrictions on "agents of the global censorship-industrial complex" who would be "generally barred from entering the United States".
"President Trump has been clear that his national sovereignty foreign policy rejects infringements of American sovereignty. Extraterritorial overreach by foreign censors targeting American speech is no exception," he affirmed.
