Overview
- The State Department barred entry to former EU commissioner Thierry Breton, Imran Ahmed, Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, Josephine Ballon and Clare Melford, formalizing visa restrictions announced Dec. 23–24.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the group of coercing American platforms to censor and desmonetize U.S. viewpoints, with officials describing Breton as the mastermind behind the Digital Services Act.
- The European Commission condemned the decision, requested clarifications and warned of a rapid, decisive response if deemed unjustified, while France’s President Emmanuel Macron called the measures intimidation targeting Europe’s digital sovereignty.
- Washington’s action draws on a May 2025 policy to restrict visas for foreign actors deemed responsible for suppressing speech protected in the United States.
- Breton rejected the move as McCarthyite and defended the DSA’s democratic mandate, as the clash intensifies following the EU’s recent fine against X for DSA violations.