US Slaps Visa Restrictions on Former EU Official and Anti-Disinformation Figures in Free Speech Dispute

By Al Ahed Staff, Agencies

The United States has imposed visa bans on a former European Union commissioner and four well-known anti-disinformation activists, accusing them of playing a central role in efforts to censor American social media platforms.

In a statement issued Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the individuals were involved in “organized efforts” to pressure US-based technology companies to censor, demonetize or suppress viewpoints originating in the United States. He framed their actions as part of a wider campaign by foreign governments and non-governmental organizations to influence American speech and digital platforms.

The move comes amid escalating US opposition to the European Union’s Digital Services Act [DSA], a sweeping law designed to regulate online content by tackling hate speech, misinformation, and disinformation. US officials argue the legislation exceeds reasonable regulation, threatens freedom of expression, and places heavy financial and legal burdens on American tech companies.

Washington has instructed its diplomats to push back against the DSA, and the US “National” Security Strategy has criticized European leaders for what it describes as censorship and suppression of dissent, particularly in discussions related to immigration.

Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers publicly named the individuals affected by the visa bans, describing them as “key architects of censorship of American speech.” The most prominent among them is Thierry Breton, the former EU commissioner for the internal market, who oversaw the development and enforcement of the DSA from 2019 to 2024. Rogers accused Breton of pressuring social media platform X and its owner, Elon Musk, ahead of a politically sensitive interview with President Donald Trump. Breton was not immediately available for comment.

The other individuals targeted include Imran Ahmed, head of the US-based Center for Countering Digital Hate; Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of the German nonprofit HateAid; and Clare Melford, co-founder of the Global Disinformation Index [GDI].

Von Hodenberg and Ballon said the US decision was an attempt to weaken enforcement of European laws regulating major US technology companies. In a joint statement, they said they would not be deterred from defending human rights and freedom of expression.

A spokesperson for GDI denounced the visa bans as “immoral, unlawful, and un-American,” calling them an authoritarian attack on free speech. Rogers accused Melford of using US taxpayer funds to pressure advertisers and platforms into blacklisting American media outlets and online content labeled as hateful or misleading.

Melford has previously said GDI was created to undermine the financial incentives behind harmful online content by rating news and information websites so advertisers can avoid supporting divisive or misleading material. The Center for Countering Digital Hate did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The visa bans represent the strongest action so far by the US against European digital regulation and its proponents, highlighting a deepening transatlantic dispute over how far governments should go in regulating online speech.