Overview
- The State Department barred five Europeans it accuses of coercing U.S. platforms to suppress speech: Thierry Breton, Imran Ahmed, Anna‑Lena von Hodenberg, Josephine Ballon, and Clare Melford.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the group led efforts to pressure American companies and warned the list could expand under the May policy targeting foreign actors who restrict U.S.-protected speech.
- Officials said the five will be generally denied entry to the United States, and noted the Department of Homeland Security can initiate removal proceedings against affected individuals in the country.
- European leaders condemned the move as intimidation and a challenge to regulatory autonomy, with the European Commission seeking clarifications and France and Germany publicly rejecting the U.S. rationale.
- The action targets figures linked to the EU’s Digital Services Act; Under Secretary Sarah Rogers called Breton its “mastermind,” cited his prior clash with Elon Musk, and the step follows an EU fine against X and earlier U.S. threats toward European firms.