The United States Denies Entry Permits to Former European Union Official and Additional Figures Concerning Social Media Policies

The US State Department declared it would refuse entry permits to a group of five people, including a former EU commissioner, for reportedly seeking to "force" American online companies into curtailing viewpoints they disagree with.

"These radical activists and aggressive non-profits have promoted censorship crackdowns by other governments - in each case focusing on American speakers and US firms," stated Secretary of State the official.

The former European tech regulator remarked that a "witch hunt" was underway.

Officials labeled Breton as the "architect" of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), which imposes speech regulations on social media firms.

A Divisive Regulation

However, the act has frustrated some US conservatives who view it as seeking to censor conservative viewpoints. Brussels rejects this characterization.

The official has been in conflict with Elon Musk, owner of platform X, over obligations to adhere to EU rules.

EU regulators imposed a penalty on X €120m over its verification system – the first fine under the DSA. It said the platform's system was "misleading" because the firm was not "properly authenticating users".

In response, Musk's site prevented the Commission from making adverts on its platform.

Reactions and Broader Bans

Reacting to the entry restriction, Breton posted on X: "Addressing the US: Censorship does not lie where you think it is."

Another listed individual, who heads the British disinformation research group, was also listed.

US Undersecretary of State Sarah B Rogers accused the GDI of using American public funds "to exhort censorship and blacklisting of US expression and media".

A representative for the group said the entry bans as "a repressive move on free expression and a blatant example of state-led suppression".

"Their actions today are immoral, illegal, and un-American," the spokesperson added.

Imran Ahmed of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a non-governmental organization that fights digital hatred and false information, was also handed a ban.

Rogers labeled Mr Ahmed a "key collaborator with efforts to misuse the state apparatus against American people".

Also subject to bans were Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of a German organization, which the State Department said aided in implementing the DSA.

Responding, the two CEOs called it an "act of repression by a government that is increasingly disregarding the rule of law".

"We will not be intimidated by a government that uses claims of suppression to silence those who stand up for human rights," they added.

Policy Justification

Rubio said that steps had been taken to impose visa restrictions on "representatives of the global censorship-industrial complex" who would be "generally barred from entering the United States".

"The administration has been explicit that his America First foreign policy rejects violations of US autonomy. Foreign-imposed regulations by foreign censors targeting American speech is unacceptable," he added.