🔗 Share this article EU Could Respond to ‘Unwarranted’ US Travel Restrictions, Official States The EU might “respond swiftly and decisively” against what it deems “unjustified” visa bans issued by the United States against five Europeans involved in combating digital hatred and misinformation, a European Commission spokesperson has said. European Leaders Decry US Action as ‘Intimidation’ Officials from Europe including the French president charged Washington of “coercion and intimidation”, following the travel bans were placed on figures that were at the heart of campaigns to introduce laws regulating American tech companies. “For far too long, ideologues in Europe have spearheaded organised efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose,” stated the US secretary of state online. “The current administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.” Broad Criticism Across Europe Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined France in criticizing the decision. The bans were imposed this week on a former EU commissioner involved in crafting the bloc’s digital governance law, along with several activists fighting false information, from two in Germany and two in the UK. An Escalating Conflict Regarding Governance This European legislation is viewed by Washington as a form of censorship, whereas European leaders argue the regulations are necessary to combat hate speech and falsehoods. This disagreement risks becoming a facet of a much broader ongoing political and ideological clash between the current US administration and European institutions. Additional Updates Reported Today In other legal news: A US district judge has halted efforts to reduce federal homeland security funding to states which resist specific federal immigration rules. The official ruled the action was “another example” of linking federal aid to policy compliance. Approval was given for the dispatch of 350 national guard members to a major US city ahead of the holiday period, coinciding with an active immigration enforcement operation. The nation of Palau has agreed to accept dozens of individuals from the US in return for additional aid, after concluding a memorandum of understanding with Washington. Additionally, a Democratic lawmaker has filed a lawsuit to demand the stripping of the current president’s name from a well-known performing arts center in Washington DC. Experts point out that recent statements regarding Venezuelan oil reflect a wider ideology in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, leading to parallels with past foreign policy actions.
The EU might “respond swiftly and decisively” against what it deems “unjustified” visa bans issued by the United States against five Europeans involved in combating digital hatred and misinformation, a European Commission spokesperson has said. European Leaders Decry US Action as ‘Intimidation’ Officials from Europe including the French president charged Washington of “coercion and intimidation”, following the travel bans were placed on figures that were at the heart of campaigns to introduce laws regulating American tech companies. “For far too long, ideologues in Europe have spearheaded organised efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose,” stated the US secretary of state online. “The current administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.” Broad Criticism Across Europe Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined France in criticizing the decision. The bans were imposed this week on a former EU commissioner involved in crafting the bloc’s digital governance law, along with several activists fighting false information, from two in Germany and two in the UK. An Escalating Conflict Regarding Governance This European legislation is viewed by Washington as a form of censorship, whereas European leaders argue the regulations are necessary to combat hate speech and falsehoods. This disagreement risks becoming a facet of a much broader ongoing political and ideological clash between the current US administration and European institutions. Additional Updates Reported Today In other legal news: A US district judge has halted efforts to reduce federal homeland security funding to states which resist specific federal immigration rules. The official ruled the action was “another example” of linking federal aid to policy compliance. Approval was given for the dispatch of 350 national guard members to a major US city ahead of the holiday period, coinciding with an active immigration enforcement operation. The nation of Palau has agreed to accept dozens of individuals from the US in return for additional aid, after concluding a memorandum of understanding with Washington. Additionally, a Democratic lawmaker has filed a lawsuit to demand the stripping of the current president’s name from a well-known performing arts center in Washington DC. Experts point out that recent statements regarding Venezuelan oil reflect a wider ideology in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, leading to parallels with past foreign policy actions.