🔗 Share this article European Union Might Retaliate to ‘Unjustified’ US Visa Bans, Official Says The EU might “respond swiftly and decisively” in response to what it calls “unjustified” travel bans imposed by the US on five Europeans involved in fighting online hate and disinformation, a European Commission spokesperson has said. EU Officials Condemn US Move as ‘Intimidation’ European leaders including Emmanuel Macron charged the US administration of “bullying and threats”, after the visa restrictions were placed on figures that were at the heart of efforts to enact laws regulating American tech companies. “For too long, European activists have spearheaded coordinated campaigns to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose,” stated the US secretary of state in a social media post. “The current administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.” Broad Criticism From EU Nations Nations including Germany, Spain, and the UK, alongside numerous EU representatives supported the French president in condemning the move. The restrictions were imposed this week against a former EU commissioner involved in crafting the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), along with four anti-disinformation campaigners, including Germany and the United Kingdom. A Deepening Dispute Regarding Governance The DSA is viewed by US officials as a form of censorship, while EU authorities contend the rules are essential to combat hate speech and falsehoods. This row threatens to become a facet of a far wider existing cultural and political conflict involving the current US administration and European institutions. Additional Updates Reported Today In related legal news: A US district judge has blocked attempts to reduce security grants to local governments which resist certain immigration enforcement policies. The judge stated the case was “a further instance” of tying federal aid to adherence to directives. Authorization was issued for the deployment of 350 national guard members to New Orleans prior to the holiday period, coinciding with an active immigration enforcement operation. A Pacific Island nation will consent to take in a limited number of migrants from the US in return for increased assistance, after signing a formal agreement with Washington. Additionally, a congressional representative has initiated legal action to demand the removal of the current president’s name from a well-known cultural institution in the capital. Analysts have also noted that recent statements regarding foreign petroleum resources align with a wider ideology in certain circles of “economic expansionism”, leading to parallels with past foreign policy actions.
The EU might “respond swiftly and decisively” in response to what it calls “unjustified” travel bans imposed by the US on five Europeans involved in fighting online hate and disinformation, a European Commission spokesperson has said. EU Officials Condemn US Move as ‘Intimidation’ European leaders including Emmanuel Macron charged the US administration of “bullying and threats”, after the visa restrictions were placed on figures that were at the heart of efforts to enact laws regulating American tech companies. “For too long, European activists have spearheaded coordinated campaigns to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose,” stated the US secretary of state in a social media post. “The current administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.” Broad Criticism From EU Nations Nations including Germany, Spain, and the UK, alongside numerous EU representatives supported the French president in condemning the move. The restrictions were imposed this week against a former EU commissioner involved in crafting the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), along with four anti-disinformation campaigners, including Germany and the United Kingdom. A Deepening Dispute Regarding Governance The DSA is viewed by US officials as a form of censorship, while EU authorities contend the rules are essential to combat hate speech and falsehoods. This row threatens to become a facet of a far wider existing cultural and political conflict involving the current US administration and European institutions. Additional Updates Reported Today In related legal news: A US district judge has blocked attempts to reduce security grants to local governments which resist certain immigration enforcement policies. The judge stated the case was “a further instance” of tying federal aid to adherence to directives. Authorization was issued for the deployment of 350 national guard members to New Orleans prior to the holiday period, coinciding with an active immigration enforcement operation. A Pacific Island nation will consent to take in a limited number of migrants from the US in return for increased assistance, after signing a formal agreement with Washington. Additionally, a congressional representative has initiated legal action to demand the removal of the current president’s name from a well-known cultural institution in the capital. Analysts have also noted that recent statements regarding foreign petroleum resources align with a wider ideology in certain circles of “economic expansionism”, leading to parallels with past foreign policy actions.