EU Could Respond to ‘Unwarranted’ US Travel Restrictions, Spokesperson States
The EU could “act quickly and firmly” in response to what it calls “unwarranted” travel bans imposed by the US against five European individuals involved in combating online hate and disinformation, an EU official stated.
EU Officials Condemn US Move as ‘Intimidation’
Officials from Europe including the French president charged Washington of “bullying and threats”, following the visa restrictions targeted individuals that were at the heart of campaigns to enact laws governing American tech companies.
“For far too long, ideologues in Europe have spearheaded coordinated campaigns to pressure US companies to punish US perspectives they oppose,” wrote the US secretary of state in a social media post. “This government will no longer tolerate such actions of censorship beyond its borders.”
Widespread Condemnation From EU Nations
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials supported the French president in criticizing the move.
The restrictions were enacted on Tuesday against a former EU commissioner who helped draft the EU’s digital governance law, along with several activists fighting false information, from two in Germany and two in the UK.
An Escalating Conflict Over Regulation
This European legislation is seen by US officials as a type of speech restriction, whereas EU authorities contend the rules are essential to control inflammatory language and falsehoods.
This row threatens to become a facet of a far wider existing cultural and political conflict between Washington and Europe.
Additional Updates Reported Today
In other judicial developments:
- A federal judge has halted efforts to reduce security grants to local governments which resist specific federal immigration rules. The official stated the case was “another example” of tying government assistance to adherence to directives.
- Authorization was issued 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.
- A Pacific Island nation has agreed to accept dozens of migrants from the US in exchange for additional aid, following concluding a memorandum of understanding with US authorities.
Additionally, a congressional representative has filed a lawsuit seeking the removal of the current president’s name from a well-known cultural institution in the capital.
Experts point out that recent statements regarding foreign petroleum resources reflect a wider ideology in some quarters of “resource imperialism”, leading to parallels with historical international actions.
