The EU might “act quickly and firmly” in response to what it calls “unwarranted” visa bans issued by the United States on five Europeans working on combating online hate and misinformation, a European Commission spokesperson has said.
EU Officials Decry US Action as ‘Intimidation’
European leaders including Emmanuel Macron accused the US administration of “coercion and intimidation”, after the visa restrictions were placed on figures who have been at the heart of efforts to enact legislation governing US-based technology firms.
“For too long, European activists have spearheaded coordinated campaigns to pressure US companies to suppress US perspectives they disagree with,” wrote a senior US official in a social media post. “The current administration will not stand for such actions of censorship beyond its borders.”
Broad Criticism Across Europe
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined the French president in criticizing the decision.
The restrictions were enacted this week against a former EU commissioner who helped draft the bloc’s digital governance law, as well as four anti-disinformation campaigners, including two in Germany and two in the UK.
An Escalating Conflict Regarding Governance
The DSA is viewed by US officials as a form of censorship, whereas EU authorities contend the regulations are essential to control hate speech and disinformation.
This row risks becoming a facet of a far wider existing cultural and political conflict between the current US administration and Europe.
Other Developments in the News
In other legal news:
- A US district judge has halted efforts to cut security grants to local governments which resist specific federal immigration rules. The official stated the action was “another example” of tying government assistance to policy compliance.
- 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 border security initiative.
- A Pacific Island nation will consent to take in a limited number of individuals from the US in return for increased assistance, following concluding a formal agreement with Washington.
Furthermore, a Democratic lawmaker has initiated legal action to demand the stripping of a political figure’s name from a well-known performing arts center in Washington DC.
Experts have also noted that comments regarding foreign petroleum resources reflect a wider ideology in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, leading to parallels with historical international strategies.
