The United States has refused visas to five individuals, including former European Union commissioner Thierry Breton, alleging that they attempted to put pressure on American social media companies to censor content.
In a statement, the US State Department said the individuals tried to compel US-based platforms to suppress viewpoints that they disagree with. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described them as part of what he referred to as a global censorship-industrial complex that targets American speakers and companies.
Breton, who previously served as the EU’s top technology regulator, was identified by US officials as the key architect behind the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires social media platforms to moderate content.
The legislation has faced criticism from US conservatives who claim that it restricts right-wing speech, an accusation that Brussels has denied.
Reacting to the visa ban, Breton wrote on X that a witch hunt was taking place, telling American friends that censorship was not where they believed it was.
Breton has earlier engaged in disputes with Elon Musk, the owner of X, over adherence to EU regulatory requirements.
The European Commission recently imposed a €120m fine on X under the DSA, citing concerns that its blue tick verification feature was misleading.
Clare Melford, who heads the UK-based Global Disinformation Index (GDI), was also included in the visa sanctions. US Undersecretary of State Sarah B Rogers accused the organisation of using taxpayer funds to promote censorship and blacklist American media organisations.
A spokesperson for GDI condemned the action as an “authoritarian attack on free speech,” describing the visa restrictions as unlawful and un-American.
The chief executives of German digital rights group HateAid, Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon, were also affected by the ban. They described the decision as an act of repression intended to silence critics under the claim of protecting free speech.
Rubio stated that the visa restrictions are in line with President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy, cautioning that attempts by foreign actors to regulate or influence American speech would not be tolerated.
