European Leaders Condemn US Visa Bans as Row Over 'Censorship' Escalates (theguardian.com)
- Reference: 0180452001
- News link: https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/12/24/1919250/european-leaders-condemn-us-visa-bans-as-row-over-censorship-escalates
- Source link: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/dec/24/macron-eu-condemn-us-visa-bans-row-censorship-escalates
> The visa bans were imposed on Tuesday on Thierry Breton, the former EU commissioner and one of the architects of the bloc's Digital Services Act (DSA), and four anti-disinformation campaigners, including two in Germany and two in the UK.
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> The other individuals targeted were Imran Ahmed, the British 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 visa bans, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, wrote on X: "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."
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> Macron condemned the visa ban in furious terms. "These measures amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty," he wrote, also on X. "The European Union's digital regulations were adopted following a democratic and sovereign process by the European Parliament and the Council. 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."
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/dec/24/macron-eu-condemn-us-visa-bans-row-censorship-escalates
[2] https://yro.slashdot.org/story/25/12/24/0319202/us-bars-five-europeans-it-says-pressured-tech-firms-to-censor-american-viewpoints-online
He should have consulted his AIPAC person (Score:2)
I understand the DSA/disinformation angle, but hate is a dog whistle for anti-semitism. I doubt his AIPAC person is happy with him right now.
the irony of posting on X (Score:2)
I agree with Macron in principle...
But. Stop posting about it on Elon Musk's US based site.
Maybe make a European site and apply the European rules there. Europe is a big enough market to have it's own rules, it should be big enough to have it's own sites too?
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We had these sites. They have been bought out and closed by their american competitors.
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Generally-speaking, yes. If X doesn't want to play ball then it doesn't have to operate there. By the same token, the visa bans are nothing to get angry about. It's five people.
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> Stop posting about it on Elon Musk's US based site.
Why not? This was a post in English and obviously intended to be read by the American public and authorities. The alternative would be to publish it as opinion column in the NYT or similar.
> Maybe make a European site and apply the European rules there.
Can you explain your "irony of posting on X" part? Twitter/X is legitimate business. That it is US-based is irrelevant.
Governments in Europe don't pick the winners. WE DEFEND FREE MARKET. Macron (or whoever else) isn't going to ask anybody to set up a competitor because it's meddling with the market. And they are also not
So close (Score:2)
"These measures amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty,"
And yet so far. Trumps goal isn't to undermine European digital sovereignty, it's to undermine all European sovereignty.
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Oh please, it's five people, not entire countries.
Time to call Tyrants out (Score:2)
When those who oppose freedom of opinion, of speech, of assembly, ... are called out for their repression, by another regime, then I welcome it.
Europe, is wonderful, the EU is a tyrannical construct.
By their actions, shall you know them.
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The EU, for example, has no problem with putting 49 individuals, without court case or judicial decision, without any possibility of appeal, on a sanction list, banning them from all financial transactions such as paying their rent.
If you are okay with that, but think the Trump regime, fascism, then you are part of the problem.
As usual (Score:2, Interesting)
The people who call everyone else a snowflake have the thinnest skin of all.
Re: As usual (Score:2)
The mind of a fascist is ultimately no different than a school yard bully. They love it when they are in a position to overpower others. But lose their composure when dealing with anyone willing to stand up to them. America has truly become the Paper Tiger that we once accused others of being.
Thanks to cronyism, we can expect a ride in institutional incompetence in every corner of the government. This will ultimately destroy our military power, which is used to hold back our enemies, and our credibility wit
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I've made the same comment elsewhere: Historians must be fascinated to watch the self-destruction of a country in real time. (Sucks for everyone else, though...)
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The government in control of the USA may meet your description, and the people of the USA do not. Free Speech is at the heart of what we do.
Our credibility is mightily worn. The government pushes every edge, every value held dear. Much of the populace is relying on the rule of law, itself heavily damaged, to mitigate the ensuing problems.
There's little use in telling the world to hang in there. My personal hopes of a regime that heals instead of constantly wounding, still holds. I am ever hopeful of the goo