The United States has announced plans to bar entry to a former European Union commissioner and four other individuals accused of attempting to censor speech on social media platforms. According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the move is in response to efforts by “ideologues in Europe” to coerce American technology companies into suppressing US viewpoints.
The State Department’s decision follows an earlier announcement establishing a visa restriction policy targeting foreign nationals accused of censoring Americans. Rubio stated that the US will no longer tolerate “egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship” and warned that the list of barred individuals may be expanded if others do not change their approach.
The five individuals, including two French, two British, and one German national, were identified by US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers. They include former European Commissioner Thierry Breton, who was described as the “mastermind” behind the EU’s Digital Services Act. Breton had previously warned Elon Musk, the owner of the social media platform X, about the potential “amplification of harmful content” if the platform broadcast a livestream interview with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.
European Commission officials argue that the bloc’s digital laws aim to protect users and combat illegal and harmful content online. Breton responded to the US announcement by noting that all 27 EU member states approved the law in 2022, stating that “censorship isn’t where you think it is.”
The move comes amid concerns about the EU’s approach to regulating online content. Telegram founder Pavel Durov recently warned that European regulators are targeting platforms that allow dissenting speech, imposing “impossible rules” to punish tech firms that refuse to censor free speech. The EU has imposed significant fines on companies that fail to comply with its digital laws, including a €120 million fine on Elon Musk’s X.
The US decision to bar entry to the five individuals highlights the ongoing tensions between the US and EU over online content regulation. The EU’s Digital Services Act aims to hold tech companies accountable for the content they host, while the US has traditionally taken a more laissez-faire approach to online regulation. The dispute has significant implications for the future of online free speech and the role of tech companies in regulating content.