The European Union might “act quickly and firmly” in response to what it calls “unwarranted” visa bans imposed by the US on five European individuals working on fighting digital hatred and misinformation, a European Commission spokesperson has said.
EU Officials Decry US Move as ‘Intimidation’
Officials from Europe including Emmanuel Macron charged Washington of “coercion and intimidation”, following the travel bans targeted figures who have been at the heart of efforts to enact laws regulating American tech companies.
“For too long, ideologues in Europe have spearheaded coordinated campaigns to coerce US companies to suppress US perspectives they disagree with,” wrote a senior US official in a social media post. “This government will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of censorship beyond its borders.”
Broad Criticism From EU Nations
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined France in criticizing the move.
The restrictions were enacted this week on an ex-European commissioner who helped draft the EU’s digital governance law, as well as several anti-disinformation campaigners, from two in Germany and two in the UK.
A Deepening Dispute Regarding Governance
This European legislation is viewed by US officials as a form of censorship, whereas EU authorities contend the regulations are essential to combat inflammatory language and falsehoods.
This disagreement risks becoming a facet of a far wider ongoing political and ideological clash involving the current US administration and Europe.
Additional Updates in the News
In other judicial news:
- A US district judge has blocked attempts to cut security grants to local governments which resist specific federal immigration rules. The official ruled the case was “a further instance” of tying federal aid to policy compliance.
- Approval was given for the dispatch of 350 national guard members to New Orleans prior to the holiday period, coinciding with an ongoing border security initiative.
- The nation of Palau has agreed to take in dozens of individuals from the US in exchange for additional aid, after concluding a memorandum of understanding with Washington.
Additionally, a Democratic lawmaker has filed a lawsuit to demand the stripping of a political figure’s name from a well-known cultural institution in the capital.
Experts point out that recent statements regarding foreign petroleum resources align with a wider ideology in some quarters of “economic expansionism”, leading to parallels with past foreign policy actions.
