A major diplomatic rift has erupted between the United States and Europe after Washington imposed visa bans on five prominent European figures involved in efforts to regulate American technology giants. The move has been fiercely condemned by French President Emmanuel Macron and the European Union as an act of "coercion and intimidation" aimed at undermining Europe's digital sovereignty.
Targets of the US Sanctions
The visa restrictions, enacted on Tuesday, specifically target individuals central to the campaign for stricter online governance. The most high-profile figure is Thierry Breton, the former European Commissioner for the Internal Market and a key architect of the bloc's landmark Digital Services Act (DSA).
The bans also extend to four anti-disinformation campaigners: Imran Ahmed, the British CEO of the US-based Center for Countering Digital Hate; Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon from the German NGO HateAid; and Clare Melford, co-founder of the Global Disinformation Index.
A Clash of Ideologies: Censorship vs. Sovereignty
Justifying the decision, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on X that "ideologues in Europe" had led "organised efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose." He framed the Trump administration's action as a refusal to tolerate "egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship."
This characterisation was met with immediate and angry rebuttals from European leaders. President Macron issued a forceful statement, declaring: "These measures amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty." He emphasised that the EU's digital rules were democratically enacted to ensure fair competition and that illegal offline activities must also be illegal online.
Thierry Breton responded pointedly, asking: "Is McCarthy's witch-hunt back?" He reminded the US that the DSA was supported by 90% of the European Parliament and all 27 member states. "To our American friends," he added, "censorship isn't where you think it is."
Wider Implications and Solidarity
The dispute threatens to inflame existing cultural and political tensions between the Trump administration and Europe, with artificial intelligence and digital technology becoming a primary battleground for influence. A European Commission spokesperson warned that the EU would "respond swiftly and decisively to defend our regulatory autonomy."
Solidarity with the sanctioned individuals was swift. Germany's justice ministry stated the visa bans were unacceptable and that HateAid had the government's full support. French Socialist MEP Raphaël Glucksmann delivered a blistering message to Rubio, asserting: "We are not a colony of the United States. We are Europeans, we must defend our laws, our principles, our interests."
The row follows other recent transatlantic tensions, including US sanctions on a French judge at the International Criminal Court. Some observers, like former French diplomat Michel Duclos, have drawn stark historical parallels, suggesting Europe is being treated as a new adversary by Washington.
As the standoff continues, it underscores a fundamental and growing divergence in how the US and the EU believe the digital world should be governed, with profound implications for free speech, corporate power, and national sovereignty.
