The EU might “respond swiftly and decisively” against what it calls “unwarranted” travel bans issued by the US on five European individuals working on combating online hate and disinformation, an EU official has said.
European Leaders Condemn US Move as ‘Coercion’
European leaders such as the French president charged the US administration of “bullying and threats”, following the travel bans targeted figures who have been central to efforts to enact laws regulating American tech companies.
“For too long, ideologues in Europe have spearheaded coordinated campaigns to coerce US companies to suppress American viewpoints they disagree with,” wrote a senior US official in a social media post. “This government will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”
Widespread Condemnation From EU Nations
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined France in condemning the decision.
The bans were enacted on Tuesday on an ex-European commissioner who helped draft the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), as well as four activists fighting false information, including Germany and the United Kingdom.
An Escalating Conflict Over Regulation
The DSA is viewed by Washington as a type of speech restriction, whereas EU authorities argue the rules are essential to control inflammatory language and falsehoods.
This disagreement risks becoming part of a far wider ongoing political and ideological clash between Washington and Europe.
Other Developments Reported Today
In other legal developments:
- A US district judge has halted efforts to reduce security grants to states which resist certain immigration enforcement policies. The judge stated the case was “a further instance” of linking government assistance to adherence to directives.
- Authorization was issued for the dispatch of 350 national guard members to a major US city prior to the new year, coinciding with an ongoing immigration enforcement operation.
- The nation of Palau will consent to take in a limited number of migrants from the US in exchange for additional aid, following concluding a memorandum of understanding with US authorities.
Additionally, a congressional representative has filed a lawsuit to demand the removal of a political figure’s name from a prominent cultural institution in Washington DC.
Analysts have also noted that comments regarding Venezuelan oil reflect a wider ideology in some quarters of “economic expansionism”, leading to parallels with past foreign policy strategies.
