The US State Department announced Tuesday that it will deny visas to former European Commission tech regulator Thierry Breton and four others, accusing them of attempting to “coerce” American social media companies into censoring viewpoints they oppose.
“These radical activists and weaponized NGOs have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states — in each case targeting American speakers and American companies,” the department said.
Breton, often at odds with tech leaders such as Elon Musk over EU regulations, was described as the “mastermind” of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), legislation requiring major platforms to moderate content, ensure transparency, and provide access to researchers. Breton left the European Commission in 2024 and denounced the US sanctions as a “witch hunt,” likening it to the McCarthy era.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot condemned the visa restrictions, stating Europe “cannot let the rules governing their digital space be imposed by others upon them,” and insisting the DSA has “absolutely no extraterritorial reach” affecting the United States.
Other individuals targeted include Imran Ahmed of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of German NGO HateAid, and Clare Melford of the UK-based Global Disinformation Index. The State Department said these groups have acted as “trusted flaggers” under European digital regulations.
The move reflects escalating US opposition to European tech rules, following Brussels’ recent fines against Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) for DSA violations. Washington has also signaled potential retaliatory measures against key European businesses, listing companies such as Accenture, DHL, Mistral, Siemens, and Spotify.
The US has similarly criticized the UK’s Online Safety Act, suspending a tech cooperation deal last week, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating that foreign attempts to regulate American speech represent “extraterritorial overreach” that violates US sovereignty.
