US bans EU activists and official over Digital Services Act censorship dispute
The US government has banned four German activists and a former EU official from entering the country. The move targets figures linked to the EU’s Digital Services Act, a law designed to curb illegal and harmful online content. Washington claims the individuals pushed for censorship that could harm US foreign policy interests.
On December 23, 2025, the US State Department announced visa restrictions against 'representatives of the global censorship-industrial complex.' Among those barred were Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, the CEOs of HateAid, a German organization advocating against online hate. Two other unnamed German activists were also targeted.
The sanctions extended to Thierry Breton, the former EU Internal Market Commissioner. Breton had played a central role in drafting the Digital Services Act (DSA), which forces major tech platforms to remove illegal content. The Trump administration had previously opposed the law, arguing it threatened free speech. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the banned individuals of working to suppress American viewpoints. He claimed they led 'organized efforts' to pressure US platforms into censoring, demonetizing, or silencing users. Other affected organizations condemned the decision, calling it an authoritarian attack on free expression. Breton responded sharply, comparing the ban to McCarthy-era tactics. He insisted that censorship was not occurring in the way the US government alleged.
The entry bans mark an escalation in tensions over online regulation between the US and the EU. The affected individuals remain barred from traveling to America, while their organizations continue to criticize the decision. The dispute highlights deep divisions over how to balance free speech and content moderation on global platforms.
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