The European Union, France and Germany have criticised US visa bans imposed on European figures involved in combating online hate and disinformation, calling the move intimidation and an attack on free speech.
The Trump administration on Tuesday barred five European citizens, including former EU commissioner Thierry Breton, accusing them of working to censor speech or unfairly target US technology companies. Breton was one of the main architects of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), legislation designed to force online platforms to tackle illegal content.
Brussels said it "strongly condemns" the bans and warned it could respond "swiftly and decisively" to defend its regulatory autonomy. A European Commission spokesperson stressed that freedom of expression is a core value shared by both Europe and the United States.
EU, France and Germany
French President Emmanuel Macron said the measures amounted to "intimidation and coercion" aimed at undermining Europe's digital sovereignty, adding that the DSA was adopted through a democratic process to ensure fair competition and make the online space safer.
Germany's justice ministry said the bans on two German activists were unacceptable and rejected US claims that Europe's digital rules amount to censorship. "The rules by which we live in the digital space in Europe are not decided in Washington," it said.
The dispute follows recent EU enforcement actions against US tech firms, including a fine imposed on Elon Musk's X platform, and highlights widening transatlantic tensions over free speech, regulation of Big Tech and digital governance.