US denies visas to five Europeans behind campaign to regulate US tech giants

As it turns out, any effort to regulate US tech giants might now prevent you from obtaining a US visa. This is exactly what happened to five Europeans involved in campaigns and legislation aimed at regulating US tech firms in the EU.

According to the US State Department, at least five European citizens have been barred from receiving US visas due to what has been described as attempts to suppress American viewpoints they oppose. These individuals were among those who played a role in drafting and passing legislation within the European Union. The State Department described these groups and individuals as “global censorship-industrial complex.”

In a post on X, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose. The Trump Administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”

Some prominent European figures are among those whose visa applications were rejected, including Thierry Breton, a former EU commissioner and a key figure behind the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). Others include Imran Ahmed, the British chief executive of the US-based Center for Countering Digital Hate; Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of the German non-profit HateAid; and Clare Melford, co-founder of the Global Disinformation Index.

EU members have also responded to the US visa ban, accusing Washington of “coercion and intimidation.” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X, “France condemns the visa restriction measures taken by the United States against Thierry Breton and four other European figures. These measures amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty. The European Union’s digital regulations were adopted following a democratic and sovereign process by the European Parliament and the Council.”

Last week, the United States Trade Representative directly named several major European companies, including Spotify and Mistral, in its statement and warned that the continued targeting of American companies by the EU Member States would not be tolerated.

Via: France24 and The Guardian