European Union Might Respond to ‘Unjustified’ US Travel Restrictions, Spokesperson States
The European Union might “act quickly and firmly” in response to what it calls “unwarranted” visa bans issued by the US against five European individuals working on combating digital hatred and disinformation, an EU official has said.
European Leaders Decry US Move as ‘Intimidation’
European leaders including the French president accused Washington of “bullying and threats”, following the visa restrictions were placed on individuals that were central to campaigns to enact laws regulating American tech companies.
“For far too long, European activists have led coordinated campaigns to coerce American platforms to punish US perspectives they disagree with,” stated a senior US official online. “This government will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”
Widespread Condemnation Across Europe
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined France in condemning the move.
The bans were enacted this week on an ex-European commissioner involved in crafting the bloc’s digital governance law, along with four anti-disinformation campaigners, from Germany and the United Kingdom.
An Escalating Conflict Over Regulation
This European legislation is seen by US officials as a form of censorship, whereas EU authorities argue the rules are essential to control inflammatory language and falsehoods.
This row threatens to become a facet of a much broader existing cultural and political conflict involving Washington and European institutions.
Other Developments in the News
In other legal news:
- A federal judge has blocked efforts to reduce security grants to states which resist certain immigration enforcement policies. The official stated the case was “a further instance” of linking federal aid to policy compliance.
- Approval was given for the deployment of hundreds of national guard troops to New Orleans ahead of the new year, coinciding with an ongoing immigration enforcement operation.
- A Pacific Island nation will consent to take in dozens of individuals from the US in return for increased assistance, following signing a memorandum of understanding with Washington.
Furthermore, a Democratic lawmaker has initiated legal action to demand the stripping of the current president’s name from a well-known cultural institution in the capital.
Experts point out that recent statements regarding foreign petroleum resources reflect a wider ideology in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, drawing comparisons with past foreign policy strategies.