European Union Could Retaliate to ‘Unjustified’ US Visa Bans, Official Says
The EU could “respond swiftly and decisively” in response to what it calls “unjustified” travel bans issued by the United States on five Europeans working on fighting digital hatred and disinformation, a European Commission spokesperson has said.
European Leaders Decry US Action as ‘Coercion’
European leaders including the French president charged the US administration of “bullying and threats”, after the visa restrictions 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 spearheaded coordinated campaigns to coerce US companies to punish American viewpoints they oppose,” wrote the US secretary of state in a social media post. “This government will no longer tolerate such actions of censorship beyond its borders.”
Broad Criticism Across Europe
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials supported France in criticizing the decision.
The bans were enacted on Tuesday on an ex-European commissioner who helped draft the bloc’s digital governance law, as well as several anti-disinformation campaigners, from Germany and the United Kingdom.
A Deepening Dispute Over Regulation
The DSA is viewed by US officials as a type of speech restriction, while EU authorities argue the rules are essential to combat hate speech and disinformation.
This row threatens to become a facet of a much broader existing cultural and political conflict involving Washington and Europe.
Additional Updates Reported Today
In other judicial news:
- A US district judge has halted efforts to reduce federal homeland security funding to states which resist certain immigration enforcement policies. The judge ruled the case was “a further instance” of linking government assistance to policy compliance.
- Approval was given for the dispatch of 350 national guard members to a major US city ahead of the new year, coinciding with an active border security initiative.
- A Pacific Island nation will consent to take in a limited number of migrants from the US in exchange for increased assistance, following signing a formal agreement with US authorities.
Additionally, a congressional representative has filed a lawsuit to demand the stripping of a political figure’s name from a well-known cultural institution in the capital.
Analysts point out that recent statements regarding Venezuelan oil reflect a wider ideology in certain circles of “economic expansionism”, leading to parallels with historical international actions.
