Overview
- The State Department imposed travel bans on Thierry Breton and NGO leaders Imran Ahmed, Clare Melford, Anna‑Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused them of coordinating pressure on U.S. platforms to police American speech and framed the action as defending free expression.
- The European Commission condemned the restrictions, requested explanations from Washington and warned it could respond to defend EU regulatory autonomy.
- President Emmanuel Macron called the move intimidation and coercion against Europe’s digital sovereignty, as French politicians across parties voiced outrage.
- U.S. officials signaled the list could grow, following earlier 2025 warnings about visa limits tied to content moderation and tech roles.