US Rejects Entry Permits to Ex-EU Commissioner and Additional Figures Concerning Social Media Regulations
American diplomatic officials stated it would deny visas to five individuals, including a ex-European Union official, for reportedly seeking to "force" US-based social media platforms into silencing viewpoints they oppose.
"These individuals and weaponized NGOs have promoted censorship crackdowns by foreign states - in each case targeting American speakers and American companies," remarked Secretary of State the official.
Thierry Breton suggested that a "witch hunt" was occurring.
Officials labeled Breton as the "architect" of the European Union's online content law, which enforces speech regulations on digital platforms.
A Divisive Regulation
However, it has angered certain right-leaning Americans who view it as an attempt to silence conservative viewpoints. EU authorities rejects this characterization.
Breton has clashed with Elon Musk, the world's richest man, over requirements to follow EU rules.
The European Commission recently fined X 120 million euros over its verification system – the first fine under the DSA. Regulators stated the platform's system was "deceptive" because the firm was not "meaningfully verifying users".
In response, the platform blocked the European body from running advertisements on its platform.
Reactions and Broader Bans
Reacting to the visa ban, Breton posted on X: "To our American friends: Censorship isn't where you think it is."
Another listed individual, who heads the UK-based Global Disinformation Index (GDI), was also listed.
US Undersecretary of State the official accused the GDI of using American public funds "to exhort suppression and blacklisting of American speech and media".
A representative for the group said the entry bans as "a repressive move on free expression and an egregious act of government censorship".
"These measures today are unethical, unlawful, and un-American," the spokesperson added.
Another figure of the an online hate watchdog, a non-governmental organization that fights online hate and false information, was similarly issued a ban.
The undersecretary called Mr Ahmed a "key collaborator with campaigns to misuse the government against US citizens".
Additionally facing restrictions were Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of HateAid, which the US officials said helped enforce the DSA.
In a statement, the two leaders called it an "act of repression by a administration that is showing disregard for the rule of law".
"We refuse to be silenced by a state that uses accusations of censorship to silence those who defend fundamental freedoms," they added.
Policy Justification
The Secretary of State stated that steps had been taken to impose entry bans on "representatives of the global censorship-industrial complex" who would be "generally barred from entering the United States".
"President Trump has been explicit that his national sovereignty diplomatic stance rejects infringements of American sovereignty. Extraterritorial overreach by overseas regulators targeting American speech is no exception," he added.
