-
US State Department bars visas for former EU tech regulator Thierry Breton and four others
-
Decision cited attempts to pressure American social media firms into censoring content
-
Visa ban also targets EU and UK digital policy advocates, escalating transatlantic tech tensions
The US State Department announced on Tuesday that visas will be denied to former European Union commissioner Thierry Breton and four other individuals, accusing them of seeking to coerce American social media platforms into restricting viewpoints they oppose.
Breton, previously Europe’s top tech regulator, was identified as the architect of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), legislation that imposes transparency and content moderation standards on social media platforms. The US government described the visa ban as a response to “radical activists and weaponized NGOs” allegedly advancing foreign censorship efforts against American companies and speakers.
READ ALSO: US Court Upholds Trump’s $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee for Tech Workers
ATTENTION: Click “HERE” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on your WhatsApp!
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot criticized the move on social media, stating that Europe “cannot allow its digital rules to be dictated by others,” while Breton condemned the ban as a “witch hunt” and compared it to the US McCarthy era.
Other individuals affected include Imran Ahmed of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of HateAid, and Clare Melford of the Global Disinformation Index. These figures have been involved in enforcing digital regulations in Europe and the UK.
The US action comes after Brussels fined X (formerly Twitter) for DSA violations, and Washington warned that European businesses could face consequences. Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed the visa restrictions as part of a broader America First foreign policy stance, denouncing “extraterritorial overreach by foreign censors targeting American speech.”
