U.S. Bans Entry to Five Europeans Over Alleged Censorship of U.S. Speech, EU Condemns

Overview

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the group led organized efforts to pressure U.S. social networks to censor, demonetize and suppress viewpoints.
• Those named include ex–EU commissioner Thierry Breton plus Imran Ahmed (CCDH), Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon (HateAid), and Clare Melford (GDI).
• The European Commission condemned the travel bans, requested formal clarifications and warned it could respond quickly to what it calls unjustified measures.
• France’s Emmanuel Macron called the move intimidation intended to undermine Europe’s digital sovereignty, and Germany and Spain also criticized the action.
• The step draws on a visa policy unveiled in May and intensifies a clash over the EU’s Digital Services Act, which Washington portrays as censorship and Brussels defends as rule-of-law oversight.