France Denounces U.S. Visa Restrictions
France has issued a strong condemnation of the United States' recent decision to impose visa restrictions on Thierry Breton, the former European Commissioner for the Internal Market, and four other prominent European figures. The French government, led by President Emmanuel Macron, characterized these measures as 'intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty'.
The U.S. State Department announced the restrictions on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, targeting individuals it accused of leading 'organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose'. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers stated that these individuals were involved in 'content censorship' on U.S. social media platforms and were 'agents of the global censorship-industrial complex'.
Targeted Individuals and U.S. Justification
Beyond Thierry Breton, who was a key architect of the European Union's landmark Digital Services Act (DSA), the visa bans also apply to:
- Imran Ahmed, British chief executive of the U.S.-based Center for Countering Digital Hate.
- Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon from the German non-profit organization HateAid.
- Clare Melford, co-founder of the Global Disinformation Index.
The U.S. administration views the DSA as a form of censorship that restricts free expression and places undue compliance burdens on American technology companies. These visa restrictions are part of a new policy announced in May to limit the entry of foreigners deemed responsible for censoring protected speech in the United States.
European Response and Defense of Digital Sovereignty
French President Emmanuel Macron took to social media to condemn the U.S. actions, asserting that 'The rules governing the European Union's digital space are not meant to be determined outside Europe'. He emphasized that the EU's digital regulations were adopted through a 'democratic and sovereign process' by the European Parliament and the Council, applying within Europe to ensure fair competition and that 'what is illegal offline is also illegal online'.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot reiterated that the DSA has 'no extraterritorial reach and in no way affects the United States'. Thierry Breton himself reacted to the ban by questioning, 'Is McCarthy's witch hunt back?' and highlighted that the DSA was approved by 90% of the European Parliament and all 27 member states.
The European Commission also 'strongly condemned' the U.S. decision, warning that it could 'respond swiftly and decisively' to defend its regulatory autonomy against what it called 'unjustified measures'. This transatlantic dispute underscores a fundamental divergence in how the U.S. and Europe approach free speech, platform accountability, and the regulation of online content.
6 Comments
BuggaBoom
Rubio is right, this 'DSA' is just thinly veiled content control designed to silence dissent.
KittyKat
The US approach of visa restrictions seems quite extreme, but the EU's DSA does present new compliance challenges for tech companies. Both sides are digging in their heels rather than seeking common ground.
Eugene Alta
Europe can't dictate global speech rules and expect no consequences. This was inevitable.
Kyle Broflovski
It's true that Europe should determine its own digital future, but calling all content moderation 'censorship' is also simplistic. The real issue is defining the line between harmful content and free expression.
Leonardo
These EU officials ARE censoring speech. The US is entirely justified in defending free expression.
Raphael
This dispute highlights a fundamental difference in how free speech is interpreted across the Atlantic. While the EU emphasizes platform accountability, the US prioritizes unrestricted expression, making true compromise difficult.