EU Condemns U.S. Visa Bans on Thierry Breton and NGO Figures Over Digital Rules

Overview

• The United States announced on December 23 visa restrictions on five Europeans, led by former EU commissioner Thierry Breton, portraying their actions as extraterritorial censorship of American platforms.
• EU leaders labeled the measures unacceptable between allies, with the European Commission seeking explanations from Washington and warning it may respond quickly and decisively.
• France’s Emmanuel Macron called the move intimidation aimed at European digital sovereignty, while Germany expressed solidarity with targeted activists and rejected the U.S. censorship claim.
• The other individuals barred are Imran Ahmed of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of HateAid, and Clare Melford of the Global Disinformation Index.
• The dispute centers on the EU’s Digital Services Act, whose enforcement recently included a €120 million fine on X, a decision U.S. officials criticized as harming American interests and free expression.