The EU could “act quickly and firmly” in response to what it calls “unjustified” travel bans issued by the US against five European individuals working on combating digital hatred and disinformation, a European Commission spokesperson stated.
European Leaders Decry US Action as ‘Intimidation’
Officials from Europe such as the French president charged Washington of “bullying and threats”, after the visa restrictions targeted figures that were at the heart of campaigns to enact legislation governing American tech companies.
“For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led coordinated campaigns to coerce American platforms to suppress US perspectives they disagree with,” wrote the US secretary of state in a social media post. “This government will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”
Broad Criticism Across Europe
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined the French president in criticizing the decision.
The bans were enacted on Tuesday on a former EU commissioner who helped draft the EU’s digital governance law, as well as four activists fighting false information, from two in Germany and two in the UK.
An Escalating Conflict Regarding Governance
This European legislation is seen by US officials as a type of speech restriction, while European leaders argue the regulations are essential to control inflammatory language and disinformation.
This row risks becoming a facet of a much broader ongoing cultural and political conflict between the current US administration and Europe.
Additional Updates Reported Today
In related judicial news:
- A US district judge has blocked attempts to reduce federal homeland security funding to states which resist certain immigration enforcement policies. The judge stated the action was “another example” of linking government assistance to adherence to directives.
- Approval was given for the dispatch of hundreds of national guard troops to a major US city prior to the holiday period, coinciding with an ongoing immigration enforcement operation.
- A Pacific Island nation will consent to take in dozens of migrants from the US in exchange for increased assistance, after signing a formal agreement with US authorities.
Furthermore, a Democratic lawmaker has filed a lawsuit to demand the removal of the current president’s name from a well-known cultural institution in Washington DC.
Analysts have also noted that comments regarding foreign petroleum resources reflect a broader belief in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, leading to parallels with past foreign policy actions.
