The United States has announced visa bans against a former European Union commissioner and four other individuals, accusing them of attempting to pressure American social media companies into censoring viewpoints they oppose.
In a statement, the U.S. State Department said the individuals were involved in efforts to “coerce” U.S.-based platforms into enforcing content restrictions that Washington views as an attack on American free speech.
The department accused what it called “radical activists and weaponized NGOs” of driving censorship campaigns abroad that ultimately target American speakers and companies.
Among those affected is Thierry Breton, the former EU commissioner for the internal market and the bloc’s top technology regulator. Breton, who frequently clashed with tech leaders such as Elon Musk, was described by the State Department as the “mastermind” behind the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
The sweeping legislation requires major online platforms operating in Europe to comply with strict rules on content moderation, transparency, and user protections.
France swiftly condemned the move. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Paris “strongly condemns” the visa restrictions, warning that Europe “cannot allow the rules governing its digital space to be imposed by others.”
He emphasized that the DSA was democratically adopted within the EU and has no extraterritorial reach or impact on the United States.
The DSA has become a flashpoint in transatlantic tensions, particularly among U.S. conservatives who argue the law enables censorship of right-leaning views in Europe and beyond — a claim Brussels strongly rejects.
Under the law, large platforms must explain moderation decisions, increase transparency for users, and allow researchers to study issues such as children’s exposure to harmful content.
Breton, who left the European Commission in 2024, dismissed the visa ban as a “witch hunt.” Writing on X, he likened the action to the McCarthy era in the United States, when officials were targeted over alleged communist ties. “To our American friends,” he wrote, “censorship isn’t where you think it is.”
The dispute comes amid escalating U.S. criticism of EU tech regulations. Earlier this month, Brussels fined Elon Musk’s X for breaching DSA rules related to advertising transparency and user verification.
In response, Washington signaled that prominent European companies — including Accenture, DHL, Mistral, Siemens, and Spotify — could face retaliatory measures.
Also included in the visa ban were Imran Ahmed, head of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a nonprofit that combats online hate and misinformation and has been a frequent target of Musk’s criticism, as well as Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of HateAid, a German organization that the State Department said acts as a trusted flagger under the DSA. Clare Melford, leader of the UK-based Global Disinformation Index, was also named.
Washington has extended its criticism to Britain’s Online Safety Act, the UK’s counterpart to the DSA.
Last week, the White House suspended implementation of a technology cooperation agreement with the UK, citing opposition to British digital regulations.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed the move as part of President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy. “Extraterritorial overreach by foreign censors targeting American speech is unacceptable,” Rubio said, adding that the administration rejects any measures it views as violations of U.S. sovereignty.
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