🔗 Share this article EU Might Retaliate to ‘Unjustified’ US Visa Bans, Official Says The European Union might “act quickly and firmly” against what it deems “unjustified” visa bans imposed by the United States against five European individuals working on fighting online hate and misinformation, an EU official stated. EU Officials Decry US Move as ‘Coercion’ Officials from Europe including the French president accused Washington of “bullying and threats”, after the travel bans were placed on figures that were central to campaigns to enact legislation regulating American tech companies. “For too long, European activists have led coordinated campaigns to coerce American platforms to suppress American viewpoints they disagree with,” stated the US secretary of state in a social media post. “The current administration will not stand for such actions of censorship beyond its borders.” Widespread Condemnation Across Europe Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined France in condemning the move. The restrictions were imposed on Tuesday on a former EU commissioner who helped draft the bloc’s digital governance law, as well as several activists fighting false information, including Germany and the United Kingdom. An Escalating Conflict Over Regulation The DSA is viewed by US officials as a type of speech restriction, whereas EU authorities argue the rules are necessary to combat inflammatory language and falsehoods. This disagreement risks becoming part of a far wider ongoing cultural and political conflict involving Washington and European institutions. Additional Updates Reported Today In related legal developments: A federal judge has blocked attempts to reduce federal homeland security funding to states that do not comply with specific federal immigration rules. The judge stated the case was “another example” of tying federal aid to adherence to directives. Authorization was issued for the deployment of hundreds of national guard troops to a major US city 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 additional aid, after signing a formal agreement with Washington. Additionally, a congressional representative has initiated legal action seeking the stripping of a political figure’s name from a prominent cultural institution in Washington DC. Experts point out that recent statements regarding foreign petroleum resources align with a wider ideology in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, drawing comparisons with past foreign policy strategies.
The European Union might “act quickly and firmly” against what it deems “unjustified” visa bans imposed by the United States against five European individuals working on fighting online hate and misinformation, an EU official stated. EU Officials Decry US Move as ‘Coercion’ Officials from Europe including the French president accused Washington of “bullying and threats”, after the travel bans were placed on figures that were central to campaigns to enact legislation regulating American tech companies. “For too long, European activists have led coordinated campaigns to coerce American platforms to suppress American viewpoints they disagree with,” stated the US secretary of state in a social media post. “The current administration will not stand for such actions of censorship beyond its borders.” Widespread Condemnation Across Europe Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined France in condemning the move. The restrictions were imposed on Tuesday on a former EU commissioner who helped draft the bloc’s digital governance law, as well as several activists fighting false information, including Germany and the United Kingdom. An Escalating Conflict Over Regulation The DSA is viewed by US officials as a type of speech restriction, whereas EU authorities argue the rules are necessary to combat inflammatory language and falsehoods. This disagreement risks becoming part of a far wider ongoing cultural and political conflict involving Washington and European institutions. Additional Updates Reported Today In related legal developments: A federal judge has blocked attempts to reduce federal homeland security funding to states that do not comply with specific federal immigration rules. The judge stated the case was “another example” of tying federal aid to adherence to directives. Authorization was issued for the deployment of hundreds of national guard troops to a major US city 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 additional aid, after signing a formal agreement with Washington. Additionally, a congressional representative has initiated legal action seeking the stripping of a political figure’s name from a prominent cultural institution in Washington DC. Experts point out that recent statements regarding foreign petroleum resources align with a wider ideology in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, drawing comparisons with past foreign policy strategies.