European Union Could Retaliate to ‘Unwarranted’ US Visa Bans, Spokesperson Says

The European Union might “act quickly and firmly” in response to what it calls “unwarranted” travel bans issued by the United States on five Europeans working on fighting online hate and misinformation, a European Commission spokesperson stated.

EU Officials Decry US Action as ‘Intimidation’

European leaders including Emmanuel Macron charged Washington of “coercion and intimidation”, following the visa restrictions were placed on individuals that were central to efforts to enact laws regulating US-based technology firms.

“For too long, ideologues in Europe have spearheaded organised efforts to pressure American platforms to suppress American viewpoints they disagree with,” wrote the US secretary of state in a social media post. “This government will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”

Widespread Condemnation From EU Nations

Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined France in condemning the move.

The bans were imposed on Tuesday on an ex-European commissioner involved in crafting the bloc’s digital governance law, as well as several anti-disinformation campaigners, including two in Germany and two in the UK.

An Escalating Conflict Over Regulation

This European legislation is viewed by US officials as a form of censorship, while EU authorities contend the rules are essential to combat inflammatory language and falsehoods.

This row risks becoming a facet of a far wider ongoing cultural and political conflict between Washington and Europe.

Other Developments in the News

In other judicial developments:

• A federal judge has blocked attempts to cut federal homeland security funding to states that do not comply with certain immigration enforcement policies. The judge stated the case was “another example” of tying federal aid to adherence to directives.
• Authorization was issued for the deployment of 350 national guard members to New Orleans prior to the new year, alongside an active immigration enforcement operation.
• The nation of Palau will consent to take in a limited number of individuals from the US in exchange for increased assistance, after signing a formal agreement with Washington.

Additionally, a congressional representative has filed a lawsuit to demand the stripping of a political figure’s name from a well-known performing arts center in Washington DC.

Analysts point out that recent statements regarding foreign petroleum resources align with a wider ideology in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, leading to parallels with past foreign policy actions.