🔗 Share this article EU Could Respond to ‘Unjustified’ US Visa Bans, Official States The European Union might “act quickly and firmly” against what it calls “unjustified” visa bans imposed by the United States on five Europeans working on combating online hate and disinformation, an EU official has said. EU Officials Decry US Action as ‘Intimidation’ European leaders such as the French president accused Washington of “bullying and threats”, after the visa restrictions targeted figures who have been at the heart of efforts to introduce laws governing American tech companies. “For far too long, ideologues in Europe have spearheaded coordinated campaigns to pressure American platforms to suppress American viewpoints they disagree with,” stated the US secretary of state online. “The current administration will no longer tolerate such actions of extraterritorial censorship.” Broad Criticism From EU Nations Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined France in criticizing the decision. The restrictions were imposed this week on an ex-European commissioner who helped draft the EU’s digital governance law, as well as several activists fighting false information, including two in Germany and two in the UK. A Deepening Dispute Over Regulation The DSA is viewed by Washington as a type of speech restriction, whereas European leaders contend the rules are essential to control inflammatory language and disinformation. This disagreement threatens to become a facet of a much broader existing political and ideological clash involving Washington and European institutions. Additional Updates in the News In other judicial news: A federal judge has blocked attempts to cut federal homeland security funding to local governments which resist certain immigration enforcement policies. The official ruled the case was “another example” of linking federal aid to adherence to directives. Approval was given for the deployment of 350 national guard members to New Orleans ahead of the holiday period, alongside an ongoing border security initiative. The nation of Palau has agreed to take in dozens of migrants from the US in return for increased assistance, following concluding a formal agreement with US authorities. Furthermore, a congressional representative has filed a lawsuit to demand the stripping of a political figure’s name from a prominent cultural institution in Washington DC. Experts have also noted that comments regarding Venezuelan oil reflect a wider ideology in certain circles of “economic expansionism”, leading to parallels with past foreign policy strategies.
The European Union might “act quickly and firmly” against what it calls “unjustified” visa bans imposed by the United States on five Europeans working on combating online hate and disinformation, an EU official has said. EU Officials Decry US Action as ‘Intimidation’ European leaders such as the French president accused Washington of “bullying and threats”, after the visa restrictions targeted figures who have been at the heart of efforts to introduce laws governing American tech companies. “For far too long, ideologues in Europe have spearheaded coordinated campaigns to pressure American platforms to suppress American viewpoints they disagree with,” stated the US secretary of state online. “The current administration will no longer tolerate such actions of extraterritorial censorship.” Broad Criticism From EU Nations Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined France in criticizing the decision. The restrictions were imposed this week on an ex-European commissioner who helped draft the EU’s digital governance law, as well as several activists fighting false information, including two in Germany and two in the UK. A Deepening Dispute Over Regulation The DSA is viewed by Washington as a type of speech restriction, whereas European leaders contend the rules are essential to control inflammatory language and disinformation. This disagreement threatens to become a facet of a much broader existing political and ideological clash involving Washington and European institutions. Additional Updates in the News In other judicial news: A federal judge has blocked attempts to cut federal homeland security funding to local governments which resist certain immigration enforcement policies. The official ruled the case was “another example” of linking federal aid to adherence to directives. Approval was given for the deployment of 350 national guard members to New Orleans ahead of the holiday period, alongside an ongoing border security initiative. The nation of Palau has agreed to take in dozens of migrants from the US in return for increased assistance, following concluding a formal agreement with US authorities. Furthermore, a congressional representative has filed a lawsuit to demand the stripping of a political figure’s name from a prominent cultural institution in Washington DC. Experts have also noted that comments regarding Venezuelan oil reflect a wider ideology in certain circles of “economic expansionism”, leading to parallels with past foreign policy strategies.