The US State Department is pushing Europe-US relations to the extreme by announcing a ban on five "provocative" European figures linked to the "global censorship industrial system," according to the official statement.
State Department officials argued that the five Europeans violated a visa policy introduced in May, which restricts the entry of individuals working to censor protected views in the US.
"For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to pressure American platforms to punish American views that oppose their own," stated Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
"The Trump administration will no longer tolerate these heinous acts of external censorship. Today, the State Department will take steps to ban key figures of the global industrial system of censorship from the US."
"We are ready and willing to expand this list if others do not reconsider their stance," he stated.
The European officials who were excluded
The five Europeans barred from entering the US are: former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, Center for Countering Digital Hate CEO Imran Ahmed, Clare Melford, head of the Global Disinformation Index, and Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, leading members of the German organization HateAid. Sarah Rogers, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, announced the five excluded Europeans, stating that "our message is clear: if you spend your career promoting the censorship of American free speech, you are not welcome on American soil." She then posted the following on Twitter:
"Our targets are foreign, but you will notice some collaborated with American officials for the suppression of free speech in the style of Murthy. Don't worry: we are working toward transparency, truth, and reconciliation at the State Department as well."
Rogers cited Thierry Breton as the "mastermind of the Digital Services Act" and described how he "published a letter using this Act to threaten" tech tycoon Elon Musk before his interview with President Trump. Breton had also announced an investigation against X (formerly Twitter) in late 2023. The Digital Services Act (DSA) of the EU has a broad set of regulations for social media companies, including their content management policies.
Reaction from the Europeans
Thierry Breton and other significant European voices countered the US government's decision with fury. Breton, with obvious irony, stated:
"Is the McCarthyite purge returning? As a reminder: 90% of the European Parliament—our democratically elected body—and all 27 member states voted unanimously for the DSA." Breton added: "To our American friends: 'Censorship is not where you think it is.'"
The implications of the decision
Technically, many European citizens may not need a visa to enter the US, as they belong to the Visa Waiver Program. However, it is not clear if the application they must submit before entry will prevent these five individuals from entering American territory.
www.bankingnews.gr
Σχόλια αναγνωστών