Europe Accuses US of Intimidation After Visa Ban on Key Figures Behind Tech Regulation Push

European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, have accused the United States of “coercion and intimidation” after Washington imposed visa bans on five prominent European figures closely associated with efforts to regulate American technology companies.

The visa restrictions, announced on Tuesday, target Thierry Breton, former European Union commissioner and a key architect of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), along with four anti-disinformation campaigners based in Germany and the UK. Those affected include Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the US-based Center for Countering Digital Hate; Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of the German non-profit HateAid; and Clare Melford, co-founder of the Global Disinformation Index.

Justifying the move, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the decision was aimed at countering what he described as attempts by European “ideologues” to pressure American digital platforms. Writing on X, Rubio said: “For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organised efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose. The Trump administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”

The decision drew swift condemnation from France, Germany, Spain and the UK, as well as from senior EU officials. Brussels warned it could “respond swiftly and decisively” to what it described as unjustified measures undermining European regulatory autonomy.

At the heart of the dispute is the EU’s Digital Services Act, adopted in 2022, which requires large online platforms to take stronger action against illegal content, hate speech and disinformation, including material that could manipulate elections. Washington views the law as a form of censorship and argues that its extraterritorial impact unfairly targets US companies and infringes on freedom of expression.

European leaders reject that characterisation. Macron, in a strongly worded statement, said the visa bans were intended to weaken Europe’s digital sovereignty. “The European Union’s digital regulations were adopted through a democratic and sovereign process,” he said. “The rules governing Europe’s digital space are not meant to be decided outside Europe.” He later added that he had spoken to Breton and thanked him for his work, pledging that Europe would “not give up” on defending its independence.

French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot echoed those sentiments, saying Europe “cannot let the rules governing its digital space be imposed by others.” EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen also weighed in, stressing that freedom of speech was a core value of European democracy and that the bloc would protect it.

Breton, a former French finance minister who served as EU commissioner for the internal market from 2019 to 2024, reacted sharply, likening the move to a political witch-hunt. He pointed out that the DSA had been approved by an overwhelming majority of the European Parliament and unanimously by all 27 member states. “Censorship isn’t where you think it is,” he said, addressing US critics.

Germany’s justice ministry expressed solidarity with the two German campaigners affected, calling the visa bans unacceptable, while foreign minister Johann Wadephul stressed that the DSA was democratically adopted and did not have extraterritorial effect. Spain’s foreign ministry also condemned the decision, arguing that protecting a safe digital space was essential to European democracy and not an act of censorship.

The controversy has added to broader tensions between Washington and European capitals, particularly under President Donald Trump’s administration, as artificial intelligence and digital regulation emerge as major geopolitical fault lines. Earlier this month, the EU fined Elon Musk’s X platform €120 million for transparency-related violations under the DSA, a move that further strained transatlantic relations.

Stéphane Séjourné, who succeeded Breton as the EU’s internal market chief, voiced full support for his predecessor, saying sanctions would not silence Europe’s sovereignty. Several members of the European Parliament went further, accusing Washington of prioritising business interests over the rule of law.

The dispute follows a series of recent flashpoints between the US and Europe, including Washington’s decision earlier this year to sanction a French judge at the International Criminal Court. Analysts warn that the visa bans risk deepening an already fraught transatlantic relationship at a time when cooperation on global security and technology governance is increasingly critical.