The EU might “respond swiftly and decisively” against what it calls “unwarranted” travel bans issued by the United States against five Europeans involved in fighting digital hatred and misinformation, an EU official has said.
EU Officials Decry US Action as ‘Intimidation’
Officials from Europe including Emmanuel Macron accused Washington of “bullying and threats”, after the visa restrictions targeted figures that were at the heart of efforts to introduce laws regulating US-based technology firms.
“For far too long, ideologues in Europe have spearheaded coordinated campaigns to pressure US companies to suppress US perspectives they oppose,” stated a senior US official online. “This government will not stand for such actions of censorship beyond its borders.”
Broad Criticism Across Europe
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined France in condemning the move.
The restrictions were enacted this week against an ex-European commissioner who helped draft the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), as well as four activists fighting false information, from two in Germany and two in the UK.
A Deepening Dispute Over Regulation
This European legislation is seen by US officials as a type of speech restriction, whereas EU authorities contend the regulations are essential to control inflammatory language and falsehoods.
This disagreement threatens to become a facet of a much broader ongoing cultural and political conflict involving Washington and European institutions.
Additional Updates in the News
In other legal developments:
- A federal judge has blocked attempts to cut federal homeland security funding to local governments that do not comply with certain immigration enforcement policies. The judge ruled the case was “another example” of linking government assistance to policy compliance.
- Authorization was issued for the dispatch of 350 national guard members to a major US city prior to the holiday period, coinciding with an ongoing border security initiative.
- The nation of Palau will consent to take in dozens of individuals from the US in exchange for additional aid, following concluding a memorandum of understanding with Washington.
Furthermore, a Democratic lawmaker has filed a lawsuit seeking the stripping of the current president’s name from a prominent cultural institution in Washington DC.
Experts have also noted that comments regarding foreign petroleum resources align with a wider ideology in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, drawing comparisons with historical international actions.
