EU Might Respond to ‘Unjustified’ US Visa Bans, Official Says

The EU might “act quickly and firmly” against what it deems “unjustified” visa bans issued by the United States on five Europeans working on combating online hate and disinformation, a European Commission spokesperson has said.

EU Officials Condemn US Action as ‘Coercion’

European leaders including Emmanuel Macron charged Washington of “coercion and intimidation”, after the visa restrictions were placed on figures that were at the heart of campaigns to introduce laws regulating American tech companies.

“For far too long, ideologues in Europe have spearheaded coordinated campaigns to pressure American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose,” stated the US secretary of state in a social media post. “The current administration will not stand for these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”

Widespread Condemnation Across Europe

Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined the French president in criticizing the move.

The restrictions were imposed this week on an ex-European commissioner involved in crafting the bloc’s digital governance law, along with four anti-disinformation campaigners, from two in Germany and two in the UK.

A Deepening Dispute Over Regulation

The DSA is viewed by Washington as a type of speech restriction, whereas European leaders argue the regulations are necessary to combat inflammatory language and falsehoods.

This disagreement threatens to become part of a far wider ongoing cultural and political conflict between the current US administration and Europe.

Other Developments in the News

In related judicial developments:

• A federal judge has blocked attempts to cut federal homeland security funding to states which resist specific federal immigration rules. The official stated the action was “a further instance” of tying federal aid to policy compliance.
• Approval was given for the deployment of hundreds of national guard troops to New Orleans ahead of the new year, coinciding with an active immigration enforcement operation.
• The nation of Palau will consent to take in a limited number of migrants from the US in exchange for additional aid, after concluding a memorandum of understanding with US authorities.

Furthermore, a Democratic lawmaker has filed a lawsuit seeking the removal of a political figure’s name from a prominent cultural institution in Washington DC.

Experts point out that recent statements regarding Venezuelan oil reflect a wider ideology in some quarters of “economic expansionism”, leading to parallels with historical international actions.