The United States Denies Entry Permits to Ex-EU Commissioner and Others Regarding Online Platform Regulations
American diplomatic officials stated it would refuse entry permits to a group of five people, among them a ex-European Union official, for allegedly seeking to "coerce" American online companies into curtailing perspectives they disagree with.
"These individuals and aggressive non-profits have promoted censorship crackdowns by other governments - in each case targeting US voices and US firms," stated Secretary of State the official.
Thierry Breton suggested that a "targeted campaign" was underway.
Officials labeled Breton as the "key designer" of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), which imposes content moderation on digital platforms.
A Divisive Regulation
However, it has angered certain right-leaning Americans who see it as an attempt to silence conservative viewpoints. Brussels rejects this characterization.
The official has been in conflict with the billionaire entrepreneur, owner of platform X, over requirements to follow EU rules.
The European Commission imposed a penalty on X 120 million euros over its verification system – the inaugural penalty under the DSA. It said the platform's system was "misleading" because the firm was not "properly authenticating users".
In response, Musk's site prevented the European body from making adverts on its platform.
Responses and Additional Restrictions
Reacting to the entry restriction, the former commissioner wrote on X: "To our American friends: Censorship does not lie where you think it is."
Another listed individual, who leads the UK-based disinformation research group, was also listed.
A senior US diplomat Sarah B Rogers accused the GDI of using US taxpayer money "to exhort censorship and targeting of American speech and press".
A GDI spokesperson characterized the entry bans as "a repressive move on free expression and an egregious act of government censorship".
"These measures today are unethical, illegal, and un-American," they stated.
Another figure of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a non-governmental organization that combats online hate and false information, was similarly issued a ban.
The undersecretary called Mr Ahmed a "primary partner with efforts to weaponize the government against US citizens".
Also subject to bans were Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of a German organization, which the US officials said aided in implementing the DSA.
Responding, the two CEOs called it an "attempt to silence by a government that is showing disregard for the rule of law".
"We refuse to be silenced by a state that uses claims of suppression to muzzle those who defend human rights," they concluded.
Official Rationale
Rubio said that action was initiated to impose entry bans on "representatives of the global censorship-industrial complex" who would be "typically prohibited from entering the United States".
"President Trump has been clear that his America First foreign policy opposes infringements of US autonomy. Extraterritorial overreach by overseas regulators aimed at American speech is unacceptable," he added.
