The European Union strongly condemned US sanctions on five European figures, including former commissioner Thierry Breton, announced Tuesday. The US State Department said it would deny visas, accusing them of coercing social media companies into censoring content. France and Germany also criticized the measures as attacks on European regulatory autonomy.
The EU Commission said it requested clarifications from Washington and vowed to respond “swiftly and decisively” if necessary. Officials stressed that EU digital rules ensure a fair, transparent, and safe online environment for all platforms, applied without discrimination.
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Breton, who often clashed with tech leaders like Elon Musk, is considered the architect of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). The DSA requires major platforms to explain content moderation, provide transparency to users, and allow research on online risks, including exposure of children to harmful content.
US conservatives have criticized the DSA as censoring right-wing thought abroad, claims the EU denies. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called the visa ban “unacceptable,” while French President Emmanuel Macron called it “intimidation” that threatens Europe’s digital sovereignty.
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Other sanctioned figures include 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. Organizations called the move “repressive,” “authoritarian,” and an attack on free speech.