The EU could “act quickly and firmly” against what it deems “unwarranted” travel bans issued by the US against five Europeans working on fighting online hate and disinformation, an EU official stated.
European Leaders Condemn US Action as ‘Intimidation’
European leaders including the French president charged Washington of “coercion and intimidation”, after the travel bans targeted figures that were at the heart of campaigns to introduce legislation regulating US-based technology firms.
“For far too long, European activists have spearheaded coordinated campaigns to coerce US companies to punish American viewpoints they disagree with,” stated the US secretary of state in a social media post. “This government will no longer tolerate such actions of extraterritorial censorship.”
Broad Criticism From EU Nations
Nations including Germany, Spain, and the UK, alongside numerous EU representatives joined France in criticizing the move.
The restrictions were enacted this week against an ex-European commissioner who helped draft the EU’s digital governance law, along with four activists fighting false information, from two in Germany and two in the UK.
An Escalating Conflict Over Regulation
The DSA is viewed by Washington as a type of speech restriction, whereas EU authorities argue the rules are necessary to control inflammatory language and falsehoods.
This disagreement risks becoming a facet of a much broader existing political and ideological clash between the current US administration and Europe.
Additional Updates Reported Today
In other judicial developments:
- A federal judge has halted efforts to reduce federal homeland security funding to local governments which resist specific federal immigration rules. The official stated the action was “a further instance” of linking government assistance to policy compliance.
- Approval was given for the dispatch of hundreds of national guard troops to New Orleans ahead of the new year, alongside an active immigration enforcement operation.
- A Pacific Island nation has agreed to accept dozens of migrants from the US in exchange for additional aid, after signing a formal agreement with US authorities.
Additionally, a congressional representative has initiated legal action to demand the stripping of the current president’s name from a prominent performing arts center in Washington DC.
Analysts point out that comments regarding foreign petroleum resources align with a broader belief in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, leading to parallels with past foreign policy actions.
