US imposes visa bans on 5 European officials amid rising free speech tensions
WASHINGTON, DC: The United States on Tuesday, December 23, imposed visa bans on five prominent European figures involved in campaigns to allegedly counter misinformation and hate online, accusing them of censoring American viewpoints.
The move, announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, targets current and former officials and nonprofit leaders linked to Europe's digital regulation efforts.
European leaders swiftly condemned the decision, warning that it could deepen existing tensions between Washington and Brussels.
Visa bans tied to claims of extraterritorial censorship
The visa restriction applies to former European Union Commissioner Thierry Breton, Center for Countering Digital Hate CEO Imran Ahmed, Global Disinformation Index CEO Clare Melford, and HateAid leaders Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon.
According to the State Department, the bans were issued under a policy introduced in May that allows the US to deny entry to foreign nationals accused of censoring Americans.
Rubio said that the five had led "organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose.”
In a post on X, he added, “The Trump Administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”
For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose. The Trump Administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) December 23, 2025
Today, @StateDept will take steps to…
He continued, “Today, @StateDept will take steps to bar leading figures of the global censorship-industrial complex from entering the United States. We stand ready and willing to expand this list if others do not reverse course.”
Breton played a central role in shaping the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA), a law passed in 2022 requiring major digital platforms to address illegal content, hate speech, and coordinated misinformation.
US officials have argued the law unfairly targets American technology companies and restricts free expression beyond Europe's borders.
Is McCarthy’s witch hunt back? 🧹
— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) December 23, 2025
As a reminder: 90% of the European Parliament — our democratically elected body — and all 27 Member States unanimously voted the DSA 🇪🇺
To our American friends: “Censorship isn’t where you think it is.”
Breton criticized the visa ban, writing in a post on X, “Is McCarthy’s witch hunt back?" He added, “To our American friends: ‘Censorship isn’t where you think it is."'
European leaders condemn move and defend digital regulations
The decision prompted strong reactions across Europe.
French President Emmanuel Macron accused Washington of "intimidation and coercion" and said that the action undermined European sovereignty.
"The European Union’s digital regulations were adopted following a democratic and sovereign process by the European Parliament and the Council," Macron wrote in a post on X.
"They apply within Europe to ensure fair competition among platforms, without targeting any third country, and to ensure that what is illegal offline is also illegal online. The rules governing the European Union’s digital space are not meant to be determined outside Europe," he added.
France condemns the visa restriction measures taken by the United States against Thierry Breton and four other European figures.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) December 24, 2025
These measures amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty.…
Macron said he would work with the European Commission and other leaders to "defend our sovereignty and our regulatory autonomy."
Officials in Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom echoed those concerns while a spokesperson for the European Commission said the bloc could "respond swiftly and decisively" if necessary.
