EU Could Respond to ‘Unwarranted’ US Travel Restrictions, Official Says
The European Union could “respond swiftly and decisively” against what it calls “unjustified” travel bans imposed by the US against five European individuals involved in combating digital hatred and misinformation, an EU official has said.
European Leaders Condemn US Move as ‘Intimidation’
European leaders including the French president charged the US administration of “bullying and threats”, following the travel bans targeted individuals that were at the heart of campaigns to introduce laws governing US-based technology firms.
“For too long, European activists have spearheaded organised efforts to coerce US companies 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.”
Broad Criticism From EU Nations
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined the French president in criticizing the decision.
The restrictions were imposed this week on a former EU commissioner who helped draft the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), as well as four activists fighting false information, including Germany and the United Kingdom.
A Deepening Dispute Regarding Governance
The DSA is viewed by Washington as a type of speech restriction, whereas EU authorities contend the regulations are necessary to combat inflammatory language and falsehoods.
This row threatens to become part of a far wider ongoing cultural and political conflict between the current US administration and European institutions.
Other Developments Reported Today
In related legal developments:
- A federal judge has blocked efforts to cut federal homeland security funding to states which resist certain immigration enforcement policies. The judge ruled the case was “a further instance” of linking government assistance to policy compliance.
- Approval was given for the dispatch of hundreds of national guard troops to a major US city ahead of the new year, alongside an ongoing immigration enforcement operation.
- The nation of Palau has agreed to accept a limited number of migrants from the US in return for increased assistance, after concluding a memorandum of understanding with Washington.
Additionally, a Democratic lawmaker has initiated legal action to demand the stripping of a political figure’s name from a well-known cultural institution in Washington DC.
Experts point out that comments regarding Venezuelan oil reflect a wider ideology in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, drawing comparisons with historical international strategies.
