BRUSSELS (AP) 鈥� France, Germany, the European Union and the United Kingdom on Wednesday hit out at a U.S. decision to impose the Trump administration accuses of pressuring tech firms to censor or suppress American views.
The EU鈥檚 executive branch, the European Commission, which supervises tech regulation in Europe, warned that it would take action against any 鈥渦njustified measures.” It said it had requested clarification from the U.S. State Department, which announced the bans on Tuesday.
The five Europeans were characterized by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as 鈥渞adical鈥� activists and 鈥渨eaponized鈥� nongovernmental organizations. They include the former EU commissioner responsible for supervising social media rules, Thierry Breton.
Breton, a businessman and former French finance minister, clashed last year on social media with tech billionaire Elon Musk over broadcasting an online interview with Donald Trump in the months leading up to the U.S. election.
Rubio wrote in an X post on Tuesday that 鈥渇or far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose.鈥�
鈥淭he Trump Administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship,鈥� he posted.
The European Commission countered that 鈥渢he EU is an open, rules-based single market, with the sovereign right to regulate economic activity in line with our democratic values and international commitments.鈥�
鈥淥ur digital rules ensure a safe, fair, and level playing field for all companies, applied fairly and without discrimination,鈥� it said.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on X that he had spoken to Breton about the U.S. move. 鈥淲e will stand firm against pressure and will protect Europeans,鈥� Macron posted.
Macron said the EU鈥檚 digital rules were adopted by 鈥渁 democratic and sovereign process鈥� involving all member countries and the European Parliament. He said the rules 鈥渆nsure fair competition among platforms, without targeting any third country.鈥�
He underlined that 鈥渢he rules governing the European Union鈥檚 digital space are not meant to be determined outside Europe.鈥�
The four other Europeans banned by the U.S. are Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate; Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, leaders of HateAid, a German organization; and Clare Melford, who runs the Global Disinformation Index.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on X the entry bans, including on the leaders of HateAid, were 鈥渘ot acceptable.” He said Germany intended to address the U.S. 鈥渋nterpretation鈥� of the EU’s digital rules with Washington 鈥渋n order to strengthen our partnership.鈥�
EU Council President Ant贸nio Costa also called the U.S. bans 鈥渦nacceptable between allies, partners, and friends.鈥�
鈥淭he EU stands firm in its defense of freedom of expression, fair digital rules, and its regulatory sovereignty,鈥� Costa posted on X.
The U.K. government said, 鈥淲hile every country has the right to set its own visa rules, we support the laws and institutions which are working to keep the Internet free from the most harmful content.鈥�
The Europeans fell afoul of a announced in May to restrict the entry of foreigners deemed responsible for censorship of protected speech in the United States.
Rubio said the five had advanced foreign government censorship campaigns against Americans and U.S. companies, which he said created 鈥減otentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences鈥� for the United States.
The action to bar them from the U.S. is part of a Trump administration campaign against foreign influence over online speech, using immigration law rather than platform regulations or penalties.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Sarah Rogers, the U.S. under secretary of state for public diplomacy, called Breton the 鈥渕astermind鈥� behind the EU鈥檚 , which imposes a set of strict requirements designed to keep internet users safe online. This includes flagging harmful or illegal content like hate speech.
Breton responded on X by noting that all 27 EU member countries voted for the Digital Services Act in 2022. 鈥淭o our American friends: 鈥楥ensorship isn鈥檛 where you think it is,鈥欌�� he wrote.
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Angela Charlton contributed to this report from Paris.
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