The EU could “respond swiftly and decisively” against what it deems “unjustified” travel bans issued by the United States against five Europeans working on combating digital hatred and misinformation, a European Commission spokesperson has said.
European Leaders Condemn US Action as ‘Coercion’
European leaders including Emmanuel Macron accused the US administration of “coercion and intimidation”, after the visa restrictions targeted individuals that were at the heart of efforts to enact legislation governing American tech companies.
“For too long, European activists have spearheaded organised efforts to pressure US companies to punish American viewpoints they disagree with,” wrote a senior US official in a social media post. “This government will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”
Broad Criticism From EU Nations
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials supported the French president in criticizing the move.
The bans were enacted this week against a former EU commissioner who helped draft the bloc’s digital governance law, along with several anti-disinformation campaigners, from two in Germany and two in the UK.
An Escalating Conflict Regarding Governance
This European legislation is viewed by Washington as a type of speech restriction, whereas EU authorities contend the rules are necessary to control inflammatory language and falsehoods.
This disagreement threatens to become part of a much broader ongoing cultural and political conflict involving the current US administration and European institutions.
Additional Updates in the News
In other judicial news:
- A federal judge has blocked attempts to reduce security grants to states that do not comply with certain immigration enforcement policies. The official ruled the case was “another example” of tying government assistance to policy compliance.
- Approval was given for the deployment of 350 national guard members to New Orleans ahead of the holiday period, coinciding with an active immigration enforcement operation.
- The nation of Palau will consent to take in dozens of migrants from the US in exchange for additional aid, following signing a memorandum of understanding with Washington.
Furthermore, a Democratic lawmaker has initiated legal action to demand the stripping of the current president’s name from a well-known performing arts center in Washington DC.
Analysts point out that comments regarding foreign petroleum resources reflect a wider ideology in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, drawing comparisons with past foreign policy actions.
