The EU could “respond swiftly and decisively” in response to what it deems “unjustified” travel bans imposed by the US against five Europeans working on combating digital hatred and disinformation, an EU official has said.
EU Officials Decry US Action as ‘Intimidation’
Officials from Europe including Emmanuel Macron accused the US administration of “coercion and intimidation”, after the visa restrictions were placed on individuals that were at the heart of campaigns to enact laws governing American tech companies.
“For far too long, European activists have spearheaded coordinated campaigns to coerce American platforms to suppress US perspectives they oppose,” stated a senior US official in a social media post. “The current administration will not stand for these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”
Widespread Condemnation From EU Nations
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined the French president in criticizing the decision.
The bans were enacted on Tuesday on a former EU commissioner involved in crafting the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), along with several anti-disinformation campaigners, from two in Germany and two in the UK.
An Escalating Conflict Over Regulation
This European legislation is seen by Washington as a form of censorship, whereas European leaders argue the rules are necessary to combat inflammatory language and disinformation.
This disagreement threatens to become a facet of a much broader existing political and ideological clash between Washington and European institutions.
Additional Updates Reported Today
In other legal developments:
- A US district judge has blocked attempts to reduce security grants to states that do not comply with certain immigration enforcement policies. The official stated the action was “a further instance” of tying government assistance to policy compliance.
- Approval was given for the deployment of 350 national guard members to a major US city prior to the new year, coinciding with an active immigration enforcement operation.
- A Pacific Island nation has agreed to take in a limited number of migrants from the US in exchange for increased assistance, following concluding a memorandum of understanding with Washington.
Furthermore, a congressional representative has filed a lawsuit to demand the stripping of the current president’s name from a prominent cultural institution in Washington DC.
Analysts have also noted that comments regarding foreign petroleum resources reflect a wider ideology in some quarters of “economic expansionism”, leading to parallels with historical international actions.
