EU slams US over visa ban on officials regulating 'online censorship rules'

The European Union, France, and Germany have condemned the United States for imposing visa bans on European officials involved in regulating online hate and disinformation, warning that they could “respond swiftly and decisively.”

The US State Department on Tuesday barred five European citizens — including former EU commissioner Thierry Breton, a key architect of the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA) — accusing them of pressuring technology firms to censor or suppress American viewpoints.

The move marks Washington’s latest attack on EU efforts to regulate hate speech, misinformation, and the power of US tech giants.

In a statement, the State Department claimed the targeted individuals had attempted to “censor freedom of speech” and burden US companies with unfair regulations.

Trump officials in recent months have instructed US diplomats to actively lobby foreign governments against the DSA, arguing that the law stifles "free expression and imposes costly compliance obligations on American firms."

In Brussels, a European Commission spokesperson said it "strongly condemns the US decision" and would seek answers from Washington.

French President Emmanuel Macron voiced support for Breton on social media, stating, “We will not give up, and we will protect Europe’s independence and the freedom of Europeans.”

Breton himself slammed the ban as a “witch hunt,” defending the DSA as a democratically adopted law with no extraterritorial reach. Echoing him, the French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël added that the act “in no way affects the United States.”

Stéphane Séjourné, European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, pledged solidarity with Breton and the other affected Europeans, writing on X, “No sanction will silence the sovereignty of the European peoples.”

Germany described the visa ban as “unacceptable” and promised government support for those targeted.

“The rules by which we want to live in the digital space in Germany and in Europe are not decided in Washington,” Germany's justice ministry said.

Britain also reaffirmed its commitment to upholding free speech.

A spokesperson for the Global Disinformation Index denounced the US measures as “an authoritarian attack on free speech and an egregious act of government censorship," adding that the Trump administration “is using the full weight of the federal government to intimidate, censor, and silence voices they disagree with.”

Breton is not the first French official targeted by the US. In August, Washington sanctioned French judge Nicolas Yann Guillou of the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the tribunal’s investigations into war crimes by Israel and the United States in Gaza.

The European Commission and national governments are now seeking explanations from Washington while standing firm against what they see as interference in Europe’s democratic processes.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir