Germany says US visa bans over tech rules 'not acceptable'

Berlin: Germany on Wednesday said a US State Department decision to deny visas to five prominent figures in the European tech sphere over freedom of s...

Berlin: Germany on Wednesday said a US State Department decision to deny visas to five prominent figures in the European tech sphere over freedom of speech was "not acceptable".

A German non-government group targeted by the US measures, HateAid, labelled them an "act of repression".

Washington announced sanctions on Tuesday against Thierry Breton, the former top tech regulator at the European Commission, and four others -- including two members of the German group.

It accused them of promoting "censorship crackdowns by foreign states -- in each case targeting American speakers and American companies".

Breton was described by the State Department as the "mastermind" of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) that imposes content moderation and other standards on major social media platforms operating in Europe.