This week, tensions between the European Union and the United States escalated after the US administration imposed visa bans on five European citizens engaged in efforts to combat online hate and disinformation. Brussels warned that these measures risk undermining shared democratic values.
On Tuesday, December 23, 2025, President Donald Trump's administration announced visa restrictions targeting French former EU commissioner Thierry Breton, alongside Imran Ahmed, Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, Josephine Ballon, and Clare Melford. They are accused of working to censor freedom of speech or imposing burdensome rules on US tech giants.
The European Commission spokesperson said the EU 'strongly condemns the US decision', adding that freedom of expression is 'a fundamental right in Europe and a shared core value with the United States across the democratic world'. Similar statements followed from Paris and Berlin, with France's digital minister calling the bans an 'unjustified attack' on regulatory autonomy.
The dispute reflects deeper divergences over tech regulation and online safety. Breton helped shape the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), a landmark law requiring platforms to tackle illegal content, including hate speech and child sexual abuse material. Earlier this month, the EU fined Elon Musk's X platform $140 million for breaching content rules, sparking public clashes between Musk and Breton, with Musk dubbing him the 'tyrant of Europe'.
Beyond tech, the rift taps into broader issues—from defense and immigration to far-right politics, trade and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Brussels has requested more details from Washington and vowed a swift, decisive response to defend its regulatory autonomy against what it calls 'unjustified measures'.
As digital communities watch closely, this showdown underscores the balancing act between safeguarding free speech and ensuring online safety—an evolving challenge for global citizens, policymakers and platforms alike.
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EU, France, Germany slam US visa bans as 'censorship' row deepens
cgtn.com
