The United States’ visa restrictions on five European citizens, including former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, have drawn sharp criticism from the EU, France and Germany, raising tensions over online regulation and free speech.
The visa bans, imposed by the U.S. government, target individuals involved in efforts to combat online hate, disinformation, and harmful content. Washington claims the affected parties pressured American tech companies to suppress certain viewpoints and imposed excessive regulatory demands.
A European Commission spokesperson condemned the move, emphasizing that freedom of expression is a fundamental value shared by Europe and the United States. “The US decision is unjustified and threatens regulatory autonomy in Europe”, the spokesperson said, adding that Brussels may respond decisively if necessary.
French President, Emmanuel Macron, also criticized the bans, describing them as attempts to intimidate Europe and undermine its digital sovereignty. He stressed that the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which Breton helped develop, was democratically approved to ensure safer online spaces, fair competition among platforms, and consistency between online and offline legality.
Other individuals affected include Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate; Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of the German nonprofit HateAid; and Clare Melford, co-founder of the Global Disinformation Index.
The bans are likely to further strain US-Europe relations, which already differ on issues such as trade, defense, immigration, far-right politics, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The EU maintains that the DSA is designed to hold tech companies accountable for illegal content such as hate speech and child sexual abuse material, while US officials argue that it unfairly restricts American companies and citizens.
Thierry Breton, a former French finance minister and EU Commissioner for the Internal Market from 2019 to 2024, was the most prominent target. He previously clashed with Elon Musk over EU tech regulations, following the EU’s €120 million fine on Musk’s X platform for violating online content rules.
Brussels has requested further clarification from Washington regarding the measures and warned that it will act to protect its regulatory autonomy if necessary.
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