American diplomatic officials stated it would deny visas to a group of five people, among them a former EU commissioner, for allegedly seeking to "coerce" US-based social media platforms into silencing perspectives they disagree with.
"These individuals and aggressive non-profits have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states - in each case targeting US voices and American companies," remarked US diplomat the official.
The former European tech regulator suggested that a "targeted campaign" was occurring.
Officials labeled Breton as the "key designer" of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), which mandates speech regulations on digital platforms.
A Contentious Law
Yet, the act has frustrated certain right-leaning Americans who see it as seeking to censor right-wing opinions. EU authorities denies this.
The official has been in conflict with the billionaire entrepreneur, owner of platform X, over requirements to follow EU rules.
The European Commission recently fined X €120m over its blue tick badges – the first fine under the DSA. It said the platform's system was "deceptive" because the firm was not "meaningfully verifying users".
As a countermove, the platform prevented the European body from running advertisements on its platform.
Responses and Additional Restrictions
Reacting to the entry restriction, the former commissioner wrote on X: "Addressing the US: Speech suppression isn't where you think it is."
Clare Melford, who heads the UK-based Global Disinformation Index (GDI), was included in the sanctions.
US Undersecretary of State Sarah B Rogers accused the GDI of using American public funds "to exhort suppression and blacklisting of US expression and press".
A representative for the group characterized the visa sanctions as "a repressive move on free speech and a blatant example of government censorship".
"These measures today are immoral, illegal, and un-American," they stated.
Imran Ahmed of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a nonprofit that combats digital hatred and misinformation, was also handed a ban.
Rogers called Mr Ahmed a "key collaborator with campaigns to misuse the government against US citizens".
Also subject to bans were Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of a German organization, which the State Department said helped enforce the DSA.
Responding, the two leaders described it as an "act of repression by a government that is increasingly disregarding the rule of law".
"We refuse to be silenced by a government that uses accusations of censorship to muzzle those who defend human rights," they added.
Policy Justification
Rubio said that action was initiated to impose entry bans on "agents of the global censorship-industrial complex" who would be "typically prohibited from entering the United States".
"The administration has been clear that his America First diplomatic stance opposes infringements of US autonomy. Foreign-imposed regulations by foreign censors targeting American speech is no exception," he affirmed.
