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US denies visas to five accused of pressuring social media firms
The US State Department announced visa restrictions on Tuesday for five individuals, including a former European Union official, accusing them of attempting to coerce American social media platforms into suppressing dissenting viewpoints.
State Department accuses figures of targeting US speech
Secretary of State Marco Rubio labeled the group "radical activists and weaponized NGOs", alleging they had "advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states" aimed at American speakers and companies. The move reflects escalating tensions over content moderation policies between the US and foreign regulators.
Key figures named in visa ban
- Thierry Breton, former EU internal market commissioner and architect of the Digital Services Act (DSA), was identified as the "mastermind" behind the EU's content moderation framework. Breton dismissed the visa ban as a "witch hunt" in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating: "Censorship isn't where you think it is."
- Clare Melford, CEO of the UK-based Global Disinformation Index (GDI), was accused by US Undersecretary of State Sarah B Rogers of using "US taxpayer money to exhort censorship and blacklisting of American speech." A GDI spokesperson condemned the sanctions as an "authoritarian attack on free speech" and an "egregious act of government censorship."
- Imran Ahmed, founder of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), was described by Rogers as a "key collaborator" in the Biden administration's alleged efforts to "weaponize the government against US citizens." The CCDH has not yet responded to requests for comment.
- Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon, co-CEOs of the German nonprofit HateAid, were also targeted. The State Department claimed their organization helped enforce the DSA. In a joint statement, the two called the visa ban an "act of repression" by a government "disregarding the rule of law."
EU-US tensions over content moderation
The visa restrictions highlight deepening rifts between Washington and Brussels over digital governance. The DSA, which Breton helped design, imposes strict content moderation requirements on social media platforms. Critics in the US, particularly conservatives, argue it targets right-wing opinions, a claim the EU denies.
Breton has been a vocal critic of Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter), over the platform's compliance with EU regulations. In May, the European Commission fined X €120 million (£105 million) under the DSA, accusing its blue tick verification system of being "deceptive" due to insufficient user vetting. Musk retaliated by blocking the Commission from advertising on X.
Political fallout and accusations of hypocrisy
Rubio framed the visa bans as part of President Trump's "America First" foreign policy, stating the administration "rejects violations of American sovereignty" and would not tolerate "extraterritorial overreach by foreign censors."
"President Trump has been clear that his America First foreign policy rejects violations of American sovereignty. Extraterritorial overreach by foreign censors targeting American speech is no exception."
Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State
Critics, however, argue the move is itself an attempt to silence dissent. The GDI spokesperson called it "immoral, unlawful, and un-American," while HateAid's von Hodenberg and Ballon vowed not to be "intimidated by a government that uses accusations of censorship to silence critics."
Broader implications for global free speech debates
The visa bans underscore the growing politicization of content moderation and the clash between US free speech principles and foreign regulatory frameworks. While the State Department portrays the move as a defense of American sovereignty, opponents see it as an overreach that could chill international advocacy for digital rights.
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