EU, France, Germany slam U.S. visa bans as 'censorship' dispute deepens

The European Union, France and Germany condemned U.S. visa bans on European citizens combating online hate and disinformation, with Brussels saying on Wednesday it could "respond swiftly and decisively" against the "unjustified measures."

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration imposed visa bans on Tuesday on five European citizens, including French former EU commissioner Thierry Breton, who it accuses of working to censor freedom of speech or unfairly target U.S. tech giants with overly burdensome regulation.

A European Commission spokesperson said it "strongly condemns the U.S. decision," adding: "Freedom of expression is a fundamental right in Europe and a shared core value with the United States across the democratic world."

The visa bans are likely to exacerbate growing divergences between Washington and some European capitals over issues including free speech, defence, immigration, far-right politics, trade and the Russia-Ukraine war.

They come just weeks after a U.S. National Security Strategy document warned that Europe faced "civilizational erasure" and must change course if it is to remain a reliable U.S. ally.

Breton was one of the architects of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), a landmark piece of legislation aimed at making the internet safer that has irritated U.S. officials.

They were particularly riled by Brussels's sanction earlier this month against Elon Musk's X platform, which was fined 120 million euros (around $193 million Cdn) for breaching online content rules. Musk and Breton have often sparred online over EU tech regulation, with Musk referring to him as the "tyrant of Europe."

The bans also targeted Imran Ahmed, the British CEO of the U.S.-based Center for Countering Digital Hate; Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of the German non-profit HateAid; and Clare Melford, co-founder of the Global Disinformation Index, according to U.S. Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers.

The EU's DSA is meant to make the online environment safer, in part by compelling tech giants to do more to tackle illegal content, including hate speech and child sexual abuse material.

Washington has said the EU was pursuing "undue" restrictions on freedom of expression in its efforts to combat hateful speech, misinformation and disinformation, and that the DSA unfairly targets U.S. tech giants and U.S. citizens.

The European Commission spokesperson said the EU had the right to regulate economic activity, and had requested more information from Washington about the measures.

"If needed, we will respond swiftly and decisively to defend our regulatory autonomy against unjustified measures," they said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the five people targeted with visa bans "have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetize and suppress American viewpoints they oppose."

"These radical activists and weaponized NGOs have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states — in each case targeting American speakers and American companies," Rubio said in an announcement.