The United States Denies Entry Permits to Former European Union Official and Additional Figures Over Social Media Rules
American diplomatic officials announced it would deny visas to a group of five people, among them a former EU commissioner, for allegedly seeking to "pressure" US-based social media platforms into suppressing viewpoints they disagree with.
"These radical activists and weaponized NGOs have promoted suppression campaigns by foreign states - in each case targeting US voices and US firms," said US diplomat Marco Rubio.
The former European tech regulator suggested that a "witch hunt" was underway.
Breton was described as the "mastermind" of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), which mandates speech regulations on social media firms.
A Divisive Regulation
However, the act has frustrated some US conservatives who see it as an attempt to silence conservative viewpoints. Brussels rejects this characterization.
Breton has clashed with Elon Musk, the world's richest man, over obligations to follow European regulations.
The European Commission recently fined X 120 million euros over its verification system – the first fine under the DSA. It said the platform's system was "deceptive" because the firm was not "meaningfully verifying users".
As a countermove, 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: Censorship does not lie where you think it is."
Clare Melford, who heads the British disinformation research group, was also listed.
US Undersecretary of State Sarah B Rogers accused the GDI of using American public funds "to encourage censorship and blacklisting of US expression and media".
A GDI spokesperson characterized the entry bans as "a repressive move on free expression and an egregious act of state-led suppression".
"These measures today are immoral, illegal, and un-American," they stated.
Imran Ahmed of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a non-governmental organization that fights digital hatred and false information, was similarly issued a ban.
The undersecretary called Mr Ahmed a "key collaborator with efforts to misuse the government against US citizens".
Additionally facing restrictions were two executives of HateAid, which the State Department said helped enforce the DSA.
In a statement, the two leaders called it an "act of repression by a government that is showing disregard for the rule of law".
"We will not be intimidated by a government that uses claims of suppression to muzzle those who stand up for human rights," they added.
Official Rationale
Rubio said that steps had been taken to impose visa restrictions on "agents of the international suppression network" who would be "typically prohibited from entering the United States".
"President Trump has been explicit that his national sovereignty diplomatic stance opposes infringements of US autonomy. Extraterritorial overreach by foreign censors targeting American speech is no exception," he added.
