US Denies Visas to EU Regulators and Activists Over Digital Censorship Concerns

The US State Department has announced it will deny visas to a former EU commissioner and four others, accusing them of attempting to coerce American social media platforms into censoring content they oppose. The move targets Thierry Breton, the former EU's top tech regulator, who championed the Digital Services Act (DSA), a law imposing content moderation standards on major social media platforms in Europe. The US sees the DSA as an attack on American sovereignty, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating, "Extraterritorial overreach by foreign censors targeting American speech is no exception." The US has been escalating its attacks on EU regulations, including fining Elon Musk's X for violating DSA rules and targeting European businesses such as Accenture and Siemens. The visa ban also affects Imran Ahmed of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of HateAid, and Clare Melford of the Global Disinformation Index. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot condemned the move, saying Europe cannot let its digital space be dictated by others. The DSA stipulates that major platforms must explain content-moderation decisions, provide transparency for users, and ensure researchers can carry out essential work. The EU denies the law is a tool for censorship, with Barrot stating, "The Digital Services Act (DSA) was democratically adopted in Europe... it has absolutely no extraterritorial reach and in no way affects the United States.