The EU might “act quickly and firmly” against what it calls “unwarranted” travel bans issued by the US against five European individuals working on fighting online hate and misinformation, an EU official has said.
European Leaders Decry US Move as ‘Intimidation’
European leaders such as Emmanuel Macron accused the US administration of “bullying and threats”, after the travel bans targeted individuals that were central to efforts to introduce laws regulating US-based technology firms.
“For too long, European activists have led coordinated campaigns to pressure American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose,” wrote the US secretary of state in a social media post. “This government will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”
Widespread Condemnation From EU Nations
Germany, Spain, the UK and a chorus of EU officials joined France in condemning the move.
The bans were enacted on Tuesday on an ex-European commissioner who helped draft the EU’s digital governance law, as well as several activists fighting false information, including two in Germany and two in the UK.
An Escalating Conflict Regarding Governance
This European legislation is seen by US officials as a type of speech restriction, while EU authorities contend the rules are essential to combat inflammatory language and disinformation.
This row threatens to become part of a far wider existing cultural and political conflict between Washington and Europe.
Other Developments in the News
In related judicial news:
- A federal judge has halted efforts to reduce federal homeland security funding to states which resist certain immigration enforcement policies. The official ruled the action was “a further instance” of linking federal aid to adherence to directives.
- Authorization was issued for the deployment of hundreds of national guard troops to New Orleans prior to the holiday period, coinciding with an ongoing border security initiative.
- The nation of Palau has agreed to take in dozens of individuals from the US in exchange for additional aid, after concluding a memorandum of understanding with US authorities.
Furthermore, a Democratic lawmaker has filed a lawsuit seeking the stripping of the current president’s name from a prominent cultural institution in Washington DC.
Experts have also noted that recent statements regarding Venezuelan oil reflect a wider ideology in certain circles of “economic expansionism”, leading to parallels with past foreign policy actions.
