European Union Could Respond to ‘Unjustified’ US Travel Restrictions, Official Says
The European Union could “respond swiftly and decisively” in response to what it calls “unjustified” visa bans issued by the US on five Europeans involved in fighting online hate and disinformation, a European Commission spokesperson stated.
EU Officials Condemn US Move as ‘Coercion’
European leaders including Emmanuel Macron charged Washington of “coercion and intimidation”, after the visa restrictions targeted figures that were at the heart of efforts to introduce laws regulating American tech companies.
“For far too long, European activists have spearheaded organised efforts to pressure US companies to suppress US perspectives they disagree with,” stated a senior US official online. “The current administration will no longer tolerate such actions of extraterritorial censorship.”
Broad Criticism Across Europe
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials supported France in condemning the move.
The bans were imposed this week against a former EU commissioner who helped draft the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), along with four anti-disinformation campaigners, including two in Germany and two in the UK.
An Escalating Conflict Regarding Governance
The DSA is seen by US officials as a form of censorship, while EU authorities contend the rules are necessary to combat hate speech and falsehoods.
This row threatens to become a facet of a much broader existing political and ideological clash between Washington and Europe.
Other Developments Reported Today
In other legal news:
- A US district judge has blocked attempts to cut federal homeland security funding to states which resist certain immigration enforcement policies. The official ruled the case was “another example” of linking government assistance to policy compliance.
- Approval was given for the deployment of hundreds of national guard troops to New Orleans ahead of the new year, coinciding with an ongoing immigration enforcement operation.
- A Pacific Island nation has agreed to accept dozens of migrants from the US in exchange for additional aid, following concluding a memorandum of understanding with US authorities.
Additionally, a Democratic lawmaker has initiated legal action to demand the removal of a political figure’s name from a well-known cultural institution in Washington DC.
Analysts point out that comments regarding Venezuelan oil align with a broader belief in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, leading to parallels with past foreign policy strategies.
