The EU might “act quickly and firmly” in response to what it calls “unjustified” travel bans issued by the US on five European individuals working on fighting online hate and misinformation, a European Commission spokesperson has said.
European Leaders Condemn US Action as ‘Coercion’
European leaders including the French president charged Washington of “coercion and intimidation”, following the visa restrictions targeted figures that were central to efforts to introduce laws governing US-based technology firms.
“For too long, ideologues in Europe have spearheaded coordinated campaigns to coerce US companies to suppress US perspectives they oppose,” stated the US secretary of state online. “This government will not stand for such actions of censorship beyond its borders.”
Broad Criticism Across Europe
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined France in criticizing the move.
The restrictions were enacted on Tuesday on an ex-European commissioner involved in crafting the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), along with four anti-disinformation campaigners, from Germany and the United Kingdom.
A Deepening Dispute Regarding Governance
The DSA is seen by Washington as a type of speech restriction, while European leaders argue the regulations are necessary to combat inflammatory language and falsehoods.
This row threatens to become a facet of a much broader existing cultural and political conflict involving Washington and European institutions.
Additional Updates in the News
In other judicial news:
- A federal judge has blocked efforts to cut federal homeland security funding 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.
- Approval was given for the dispatch of hundreds of national guard troops to New Orleans prior to the new year, alongside an ongoing immigration enforcement operation.
- The nation of Palau has agreed to accept dozens of individuals from the US in exchange for additional aid, after concluding a memorandum of understanding with US authorities.
Furthermore, a Democratic lawmaker has filed a lawsuit to demand the stripping of the current president’s name from a well-known cultural institution in Washington DC.
Experts have also noted that recent statements regarding foreign petroleum resources reflect a wider ideology in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, leading to parallels with past foreign policy actions.
