European Union Might Respond to ‘Unjustified’ US Travel Restrictions, Official Says
The EU could “act quickly and firmly” in response to what it deems “unjustified” visa bans issued by the US on five European individuals working on fighting digital hatred and misinformation, a European Commission spokesperson has said.
EU Officials Decry US Move as ‘Coercion’
Officials from Europe including Emmanuel Macron charged Washington of “bullying and threats”, following the travel bans targeted individuals who have been at the heart of efforts to introduce laws governing American tech companies.
“For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organised efforts to coerce US companies to suppress American viewpoints they disagree with,” wrote the US secretary of state online. “The current administration will no longer tolerate such actions of extraterritorial censorship.”
Widespread Condemnation From EU Nations
Nations including Germany, Spain, and the UK, alongside numerous EU representatives joined France in condemning the decision.
The restrictions were imposed on Tuesday against an ex-European commissioner who helped draft the bloc’s digital governance law, as well as several activists fighting false information, from two in Germany and two in the UK.
An Escalating Conflict Over Regulation
The DSA is seen by Washington as a type of speech restriction, while European leaders argue the regulations are necessary to control inflammatory language and disinformation.
This row threatens to become a facet of a much broader existing political and ideological clash between the current US administration and Europe.
Additional Updates in the News
In related legal developments:
- A federal judge has blocked attempts to cut federal homeland security funding to local governments which resist specific federal immigration rules. The judge ruled the action was “a further instance” of linking federal aid to policy compliance.
- Approval was given for the dispatch of 350 national guard members to New Orleans ahead of the new year, coinciding with an ongoing border security initiative.
- The nation of Palau will consent to take in dozens of individuals from the US in return for increased assistance, after concluding a memorandum of understanding with US authorities.
Additionally, a Democratic lawmaker has initiated legal action seeking the removal of a political figure’s name from a prominent cultural institution in Washington DC.
Analysts have also noted that recent statements regarding foreign petroleum resources align with a broader belief in some quarters of “economic expansionism”, leading to parallels with past foreign policy actions.