The US State Department has announced that it will deny visas to a former EU commissioner and four others, citing their alleged attempts to coerce American social media platforms into censoring viewpoints they oppose. The move targets Thierry Breton, the former top tech regulator at the European Commission, who was instrumental in shaping the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA). The DSA is a major piece of legislation that imposes content moderation and transparency standards on major social media platforms operating in Europe.

The State Department accused Breton and the others of seeking to “coerce” American social media companies into censoring certain viewpoints, which they claim is a form of “extraterritorial overreach.” The DSA has been a point of contention between the US and EU, with some American conservatives viewing it as a threat to free speech. The EU, however, maintains that the legislation is necessary to protect users from harmful content and promote transparency.

The visa ban also targets Imran Ahmed of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a nonprofit that fights online hate and disinformation, as well as Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of HateAid, a German organization that works to enforce the DSA. Clare Melford, who leads the UK-based Global Disinformation Index, is also subject to the ban.

The US has been critical of the DSA, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating that “extraterritorial overreach by foreign censors targeting American speech is no exception” to the country’s rejection of violations of American sovereignty. The White House has also suspended implementation of a tech cooperation deal with the UK, citing opposition to Britain’s tech rules.

The EU has pushed back against the US criticism, with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stating that Europe “cannot let the rules governing their digital space be imposed by others upon them.” Breton has also slammed the visa ban as a “witch hunt,” comparing it to the US McCarthy era.

The dispute highlights the ongoing tensions between the US and EU over issues of free speech, censorship, and digital regulation. As the US and EU continue to navigate these complex issues, it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold and what implications it may have for the global digital landscape.