The EU could “act quickly and firmly” against what it deems “unjustified” travel bans imposed by the US against five Europeans involved in fighting online hate and disinformation, an EU official stated.
European leaders including Emmanuel Macron charged Washington of “bullying and threats”, after the travel bans targeted figures that were at the heart of efforts to enact laws regulating American tech companies.
“For too long, ideologues in Europe have led organised efforts to pressure American platforms to punish US perspectives they disagree with,” wrote the US secretary of state online. “The current administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of censorship beyond its borders.”
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined the French president in condemning the move.
The restrictions were imposed on Tuesday on a former EU commissioner involved in crafting the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA), along with four activists fighting false information, from Germany and the United Kingdom.
This European legislation is seen by Washington as a type of speech restriction, whereas European leaders argue the regulations are necessary to control inflammatory language and falsehoods.
This row threatens to become part of a far wider existing political and ideological clash involving the current US administration and European institutions.
In related judicial developments:
Furthermore, a congressional representative has initiated legal action to demand the stripping of a political figure’s name from a prominent performing arts center in Washington DC.
Experts have also noted that comments regarding foreign petroleum resources reflect a wider ideology in certain circles of “economic expansionism”, leading to parallels with historical international strategies.
