The United States Denies Entry Permits to Former European Union Official and Others Concerning Social Media Policies
American diplomatic officials announced it would deny visas to five individuals, including a ex-European Union official, for reportedly seeking to "pressure" American online companies into curtailing perspectives they oppose.
"These individuals and weaponized NGOs have promoted suppression campaigns by foreign states - in each case targeting US voices and American companies," stated Secretary of State the official.
The former European tech regulator implied that a "targeted campaign" was underway.
Breton was described as the "key designer" of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), which mandates content moderation on digital platforms.
A Divisive Regulation
Yet, it has angered some US conservatives who view it as seeking to censor right-wing opinions. EU authorities rejects this characterization.
The official has been in conflict with the billionaire entrepreneur, owner of platform X, over requirements to follow EU rules.
EU regulators recently fined X 120 million euros over its blue tick badges – the inaugural penalty under the DSA. Regulators stated the platform's system was "misleading" because the firm was not "meaningfully verifying users".
In response, Musk's site blocked the Commission from running advertisements on its platform.
Reactions and Broader Bans
Reacting to the visa ban, Breton posted on X: "Addressing the US: Speech suppression does not lie where you think it is."
Clare Melford, who heads the UK-based disinformation research group, was also listed.
A senior US diplomat Sarah B Rogers alleged the GDI of using American public funds "to exhort suppression and targeting of American speech and press".
A representative for the group characterized the visa sanctions as "a repressive move on free speech and a blatant example of government censorship".
"Their actions today are immoral, unlawful, and un-American," the spokesperson added.
Imran Ahmed of the an online hate watchdog, a nonprofit that fights online hate and misinformation, was similarly issued a ban.
Rogers called Mr Ahmed a "primary partner with efforts to weaponize the state apparatus against American people".
Additionally facing restrictions were two executives of HateAid, which the US officials said helped enforce the DSA.
In a statement, the two CEOs called it an "attempt to silence by a administration that is increasingly disregarding the rule of law".
"We will not be intimidated by a state that uses claims of suppression to silence those who stand up for human rights," they concluded.
Official Rationale
Rubio said that action was initiated to enact entry bans 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 violations of American sovereignty. Extraterritorial overreach by overseas regulators targeting American speech is unacceptable," he added.
