The EU could “respond swiftly and decisively” in response to what it calls “unwarranted” travel bans issued by the US against five European individuals involved in fighting online hate and disinformation, a European Commission spokesperson stated.
EU Officials Condemn US Action as ‘Intimidation’
Officials from Europe including the French president charged the US administration of “bullying and threats”, following the travel bans targeted figures that were central to efforts to enact legislation governing American tech companies.
“For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organised efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose,” wrote a senior US official in a social media post. “This government will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”
Broad Criticism From EU Nations
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined France in condemning the move.
The restrictions were enacted on Tuesday on a former EU commissioner who helped draft the bloc’s digital governance law, along with several activists fighting false information, including two in Germany and two in the UK.
A Deepening Dispute Regarding Governance
The DSA is seen by US officials as a form of censorship, while European leaders contend the rules are essential to combat hate speech and disinformation.
This disagreement threatens to become part of a much broader existing political and ideological clash involving the current US administration and Europe.
Other Developments in the News
In related judicial developments:
- A federal judge has blocked efforts to reduce federal homeland security funding to local governments which resist certain immigration enforcement policies. The official ruled the case was “a further instance” of linking government assistance to policy compliance.
- Approval was given for the deployment of hundreds of national guard troops to a major US city prior to the new year, alongside an ongoing border security initiative.
- A Pacific Island nation has agreed to accept dozens of individuals from the US in exchange for increased assistance, after concluding a memorandum of understanding with US authorities.
Furthermore, a congressional representative has initiated legal action to demand the stripping of a political figure’s name from a prominent cultural institution in Washington DC.
Experts have also noted that comments regarding foreign petroleum resources align with a broader belief in certain circles of “resource imperialism”, leading to parallels with historical international strategies.
