The EU could “respond swiftly and decisively” against what it deems “unjustified” visa bans issued by the US on five Europeans working on combating online hate and disinformation, a European Commission spokesperson has said.
EU Officials Decry US Move as ‘Coercion’
European leaders such as Emmanuel Macron charged the US administration of “bullying and threats”, following the travel bans were placed on individuals who have been central to efforts to introduce legislation governing American tech companies.
“For too long, ideologues in Europe have led coordinated campaigns to pressure US companies to punish American viewpoints they oppose,” wrote a senior US official in a social media post. “The current administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”
Broad Criticism Across Europe
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials supported France in criticizing the decision.
The bans were enacted on Tuesday on an ex-European commissioner who helped draft the EU’s digital governance law, along with four activists fighting false information, from Germany and the United Kingdom.
An Escalating Conflict Over Regulation
This European legislation is seen by Washington as a form of censorship, whereas European leaders contend the rules are necessary to control inflammatory language and falsehoods.
This disagreement threatens to become part of a far wider ongoing political and ideological clash between the current US administration and European institutions.
Other Developments Reported Today
In other legal developments:
- A federal judge has halted attempts to cut federal homeland security funding to local governments which resist certain immigration enforcement policies. The official stated the action was “a further instance” of tying government assistance to adherence to directives.
- Approval was given for the dispatch of hundreds of national guard troops to a major US city ahead of the new year, coinciding with an active border security initiative.
- A Pacific Island nation will consent to accept a limited number of migrants from the US in return for additional aid, after concluding a memorandum of understanding with US authorities.
Furthermore, a Democratic lawmaker has initiated legal action seeking the stripping of a political figure’s name from a well-known performing arts center in Washington DC.
Experts have also noted that comments regarding Venezuelan oil align with a broader belief in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, leading to parallels with historical international actions.
