Discussion

• NewsMax.com NewsMax.com on x

  EU ‘Strongly Condemns’ US Sanctions Against Five Europeans

• @secrubio Secretary Marco Rubio on x

  For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose.  The Trump Administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.  Today, @StateDept will take steps to b…

• @thierrybreton Thierry Breton on x

  Is McCarthy's witch hunt back? 🧹 As a reminder: 90% of the European Parliament — our democratically elected body — and all 27 Member States unanimously voted the DSA 🇪🇺 To our American friends: “Censorship isn't where you think it is.”

• @undersecpd @undersecpd on x

  Today, the United States issued SANCTIONS reinforcing the “red line” I invoked on @GBNEWS. Namely: extraterritorial censorship of Americans. Today's sanctions target the censorship-NGO ecosystem.🧵

• @undersecpd @undersecpd on x

  WE'VE SANCTIONED: Josephine Ballon, co-leader of HateAid, who flags disfavored speech throughout Europe under the Digital Services Act. In addition to her running an official “trusted flagger” body under the DSA, she serves on Germany's Advisory Council of the Digital Services

• @undersecpd @undersecpd on x

  WE'VE SANCTIONED: Thierry Breton, a mastermind of the Digital Services Act. In August 2024, while serving as European Commissioner for Internal Markets and Digital Services, he published a letter using the DSA to threaten @elonmusk ahead of his livestream interview with President

• @undersecpd @undersecpd on x

  WE'VE SANCTIONED: Imran Ahmed, key collaborator with the Biden Administration's effort to weaponize the government against U.S. citizens.  Ahmed's group, Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), created the infamous “disinformation dozen” report, which called for platforms to d…

• @undersecpd @undersecpd on x

  WE'VE SANCTIONED: Clare Melford. She leads Global Disinformation Index (GDI), a UK-based organization that monitors websites for “hate speech” and “disinformation”. If you question Canadian blood libels about residential schools, you're engaging in “hate speech” according to [ima…

• @undersecpd @undersecpd on x

  WE'VE SANCTIONED: Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, the leader and founder of HateAid, a German organization founded after the 2017 German federal elections to counter conservative groups. HateAid is an official “trusted flagger” (a censor) under the EU's anti-speech Digital Services Act

• @felix_nuno Nuno Felix on x

  This woman is thick as a brick. Some performative bullying and culture war BS. Good luck with diplomacy in Europe

• @shawnryan762 Shawn Ryan on x

  Ok, that's pretty badass.

• @jason_kint Jason Kint on x

  WTH. Don't sleep on this. It's an absurd abuse of power by the US State Dept. This is nothing short of leaders of independent advocacy orgs working to shine a light on sources of disinformation and toxic sludge. If allowed, every advocate for truth and trust is at risk.

• @shashj Shashank Joshi on x

  Through the looking glass. Admin now spending more time crafting pressure campaign v Europe than either Russia or China. More evidence that NSS should be taken seriously as statement of intent.

• @mikebenzcyber Mike Benz on x

  if he wants to meet with US Senators to plan how to kill X, they'll have to meet in London now to do it, because CCDH censorship operative Imran Ahmed's visa privileges to the US have just been revoked [image]

• @seckennedy Secretary Kennedy on x

  Once again, the United States is the mecca for freedom of speech!

• @malinowski Tom Malinowski on x

  Unbelievable — in the name of fighting “censorship,” the State Department has sanctioned the leaders of European organizations that flag instances of antisemitism, harm to children, deep fakes, and vaccine disinformation online. 1/

• @zephyr_z9 @zephyr_z9 on x

  LMAO Breton got sanctioned [image]

• @aurorelalucq Aurore Lalucq on x

  Europe, the new Land of the Free.

• @lilithwittmann Lilith Wittmann on x

  Well seems like 2025 is the year in which “Sanctioned by the US” became an award for the most successful Anti Fascists. https://x.com/...

• @ishaantharoor Ishaan Tharoor on x

  The administration that detains and tries to deport people for writing pro-Palestinian op-eds, encouraged the public defenestration of anyone voicing criticism of Charlie Kirk and wants to police every foreigner's social media is grandstanding over censorship

• @michaeldweiss Michael Weiss on x

  The shock and contempt this has engendered in Europe should be instrumentalized immediately to oppose more of policies of this intellectually and morally vacant administration. Start with Ukraine, but keep going. If America's culture war nonsense is now a major export which

• @malinowski Tom Malinowski on x

  Just to be clear — Marco Rubio is banning the leaders of an organization called the Center for Countering Digital Hate for the “crime” of publishing a top-12 list of anti-vaxxers online. The Center also flags content that is antisemitic or harmful to children.

• @dnigabbard @dnigabbard on x

  Every American's right to free speech is enshrined in our US Constitution. Foreign nations seeking to impose their anti-freedom policies to censor American voices and force American platforms to regulate or silence our free speech is a gross violation of our sovereignty that must

• @lukolejnik Lukasz Olejnik on x

  Travel sanctions are a symbolic move. It's going to be helpful to MAGA people ("doing something"). And to those sanctioned, who get free publicity (some of the sanctioned people are not really famous, and now get a free-of-cost publicity boost, which is clearly a profit🎁 :) )

• @kareemrifai Kareem Rifai on x

  State just issued targeted sanctions against individuals involved in the “extraterritorial censorship of Americans.” I'll spoil it for you: not a single Iranian, Russian, or Chinese official was targeted, the three countries at the peak of transnational repression.

• @eu_commission @eu_commission on x

  We strongly condemn the U.S. decision to impose travel restrictions on five European individuals, including former Commissioner Thierry Breton. Link to full statement: https://link.europa.eu/NtMX4K [video]

• @frenchresponse @frenchresponse on x

  BREAKING: The US government just open-sourced its new ‘Free Speech Algorithm’! How it works: ✅ Approves: Disinformation and hate speech ❌ Blocks: Factual journalism, antisemitism fighting, children protection & defense of democratic values ✅ Approves: Propaganda from

• @michaeldweiss Michael Weiss on x

  A French general calls the U.S. a “systemic adversary” and asks for reciprocal Schengen bans on U.S. officials over the Trump administration's visa bans against former European officials, including @ThierryBreton. Washington seems determined to alienate America's longstanding

• @undersecpd @undersecpd on x

  None of those sanctioned is a current UK or EU official—however, we know that foreign government officials are actively targeting the United States. This week, the UK's Liberal Democrats claimed President's Trump National Security Strategy amounts to “foreign interference” by a

• @katiepavlich Katie Pavlich on x

  When I was at @townhallcom, we fought this overseas censorship regime for *years*. Foreign “fact checkers” did everything could to prevent us from reporting on major political and policy issues (specifically globalist clauses like “climate change” and COVID narratives) while

• @mmagierowski Marek Magierowski on x

  Upholding freedom of speech worldwide is a praiseworthy mission. My understanding is this policy also applies to Russian and Chinese censors.

• @brunotertrais Bruno Tertrais on x

  Because the US does not have extraterritorial laws?

• @afergusonftc Andrew Ferguson on x

  Based.

• @jeremycliffe Jeremy Cliffe on x

  As I wrote for @a_publica last week: “A third way that the US government could seek to advance its agenda within Europe would be to target the officials involved in decisions it dislikes” https://agendapublica.es/...

• @laszloan @laszloan on x

  As Ursula von der Leyen, Henna Virkkunen and Michael McGrath build the new toolbox of narrative control advertised as the European Democracy Shield, the US is moving to punish European attempts to restrict social media platforms and free speech. Freedom of speech is the pillar

• @sbarrettbar Steven Barrett on x

  It was inherently stupid of certain Europeans to meddle in America's private affairs This was inevitable.

• @prestonjbyrne Preston Byrne on x

  The First Amendment bar moved Then the states moved The Executive Branch just moved Congress on deck

• @macaesbruno Bruno Maçães on x

  If these are sanctions against European citizens, the EU must immediately respond with reciprocal sanctions

• @gavinwax Gavin M. Wax on x

  Proud of what our Public Diplomacy team delivered here. Extraterritorial censorship of Americans is a red line: no foreign regulator or NGO stooge gets to strong-arm U.S. platforms into silencing Americans. Those who build the censorship pipeline will not get access to American

• @blakesneff Blake Neff on x

  The Trump State Dept is sanctioning and denying visas to foreigners who engineered the censorship apparatus that consistently targeted Americans from 2015 through 2024. A huge win and exactly why Charlie was so enthusiastic about getting @UnderSecPD confirmed.

• @marietjeschaake Marietje Schaake on x

  This is a major escalation. Alongside civil society representatives the Trump Administration sanctions former Commissioner @ThierryBreton for work he did in official capacity ↘️

• @tokyotom2020 @tokyotom2020 on x

  @SecRubio ... Translation: Only foreigners who support Donald Trump will be allowed entrance into the United States, an unprecedented move, indicating the slow slouching towards autocracy as deployed by the insular, fascist-curious one man-centered cult. These are the forces whom…

• @andreasshrugged Andreas Backhaus on x

  @SecRubio @StateDept Does this step extend to Russian officials who are responsible for complelety blocking American platforms in Russia?

• @tomhfh Tom Harwood on x

  US State Department to bar leading figures of the “global censorship-industrial complex” from entering the United States. 🇬🇧Could this include Ofcom? Even Members of Parliament? We'll have to wait and see.

• @andersonafdmdep Christine Anderson on x

  Thanks a lot for defending our freedom of speech all over the world! “The Trump Administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”

• @jayinkyiv @jayinkyiv on x

  Part of working in the Trump admin is the obligatory side hustle of becoming an unpaid lobbyist for Elon Musk's firehose of Russian disinformation. [image]

• @katiepavlich Katie Pavlich on x

  When I spoke at the Dubrovnik Forum last summer I warned them about this if they didn't change course. They did not change course and this is good news from State.

• @deanwball Dean W. Ball on x

  wow they sanctioned that eu regulator who always posted photos of himself along with his tweets about fining Google another 500 billion dollars for privacy pop-up noncompliance or whatever

• @senericschmitt Senator Eric Schmitt on x

  Excellent news. As I said in my letter to the State Department on this topic last week, these foreign bureaucrats and NGOs are subversive threats to the homeland. This is long overdue. Thank you, @SecRubio. This is what America First looks like.

• @undersecpd @undersecpd on x

  These travel bans confront what the Trump administration has fought since day one: crossborder censorship targeting American citizens and American speech.

• @emd_worldwide Martin De Luca on x

  The censorship problem in Brazil remains unresolved. Rumble is still subject to a Alexandre de Moraes imposed nationwide ban for refusing to censor content of US users posting from American soil, which is very concerning and disappointing. @SecRubio @DeputySecState

• @basedmikelee Mike Lee on x

  The Global Censorship Industrial Complex™️ ("GCIC") is a problem It's time for the U.S. to push back on it and, where the U.S. has been (indirectly) supporting the GCIC—through entities like NATO and otherwise—to withdraw such support Thank you, @SecRubio, for leading the way!

• @jtlonsdale Joe Lonsdale on x

  Amazing. Love this administration and these values - go after the bureaucrats who are violating the principles of our civilization and using state power to harass our citizens for free speech, and terrify others who might think to do so 🇺🇸

• @jurgen_nauditt Jürgen Nauditt on x

  Marco Rubio, who portrays himself as a defender of “freedom of speech,” reveals himself here as a laughable hypocrite of the highest order. While he accuses Europe of practicing “extraterritorial censorship”—because democratic states want to regulate hate speech, disinformation,

• @trussliz Liz Truss on x

  Breaking News! 🚨 “Everyone should watch closely on Secretary Rubio's Twitter feed.” The US State Department hints at sanctioning the British establishment that has censored free speech. Watch the full episode at 6pm GMT/1pm EST Wednesday 24th December with Under-Secretary of [vid…

• @nicksortor Nick Sortor on x

  🚨 BREAKING: The Trump admin has just BANNED former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, who abused his power and THREATENED @ElonMusk for hosting an interview on 𝕏 with Trump in 2024, from the U.S. RUBIO: “For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to coerce [im…

• @eric_schmitt Eric Schmitt on x

  For years, the State Department was a vehicle for exporting leftism to the world. Under President Trump and Secretary Rubio, it's protecting Americans from the world's attempts to impose leftism on us. Talk about an upgrade. [image]

• @undersecpd @undersecpd on x

  Our targets are foreign, but you'll notice that some collaborated with U.S. bureaucrats on Murthy-style speech suppression. Don't worry: we're pursuing transparency, truth, and reconciliation at the @StateDept, too.

• @prestonjbyrne Preston Byrne on x

  I thank the State Department for this action today Both the UK OSA and EU DSA have mechanisms for NGOs to provide foreign regulators with targeting data to punish American free speech under censorial foreign laws This is a fantastic way to communicate our national disapproval.

• @undersecpd @undersecpd on x

  Our targets are foreign, but you'll notice that some collaborated with U.S. bureaucrats on Murthy-style speech suppression. Don't worry: we're pursuing transparency, truth, and reconciliation at the @StateDept, too.

• @melissaryan Melissa Ryan on bluesky

  They're doing this over Christmas break hoping that no one noticed and there's no outrage. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/t...

• @robertscotthorton Scott Horton on bluesky

  The Trump position: if Elon Musk wants his platform to be a beacon for disinformation by the Russian intelligence services, he has every right to do so.  And we will instantly punish anyone who raises a voice in criticism or who flags what he is doing. www.ft.com/content/c4e7...

• @marietjeschaake Marietje Schaake on bluesky

  Forceful response to the absurd sanctions by the US on NGO leaders and former EU Comm.  Breton.  Actions must follow: The EU is an open, rules-based single market, with the sovereign right to regulate economic activity in line with our democratic values & int. commitments ec.euro…

• @whodat35 Lee West on bluesky

  This headline should read: “Musk Bars 5 European Tech Regulators and Researchers”  —  The Trump administration, citing “foreign censorship,” imposed travel bans on experts involved in monitoring major tech platforms.  —  www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/t...

• @whodat35 Lee West on bluesky

  Looks like Elon Musk, Bondi and now Rubio are conspiring to protect X now in its qwest to undermine Western democracies.  I say this because what is happening is conspiratorial against CCDH and European leaders for standing up against algorithmically tricked out white nationalist…

• @peterstefanovic Peter Stefanovic on bluesky

  Who saw this coming..  —  Former EU commissioner and activists barred from US in attack on European tech regulators  —  State department accuses group of pressuring tech firms to censor or suppress American viewpoints through regulation of disinformation  —  www.theguardian.com/t…

• @stevepeers Steve Peers on bluesky

  EU Commission response to US sanctions imposed upon advocates of regulating social media ec.europa.eu/commission/p...  [image]

• @pollypw Polly Pallister-Wilkins on bluesky

  Obviously this is a bad move from the US, but Europeans, can we not pretend to be all *shocked Pikachu face* when EU countries have been, for example, banning UK citizens from travelling to the EU for the crime of being Palestinian and talking about genocide.  —  www.theguardian.…

• @claesdevreese Claes de Vreese on bluesky

  The @ec.europa.eu response to US entry restrictions on EU individuals working on DSA, hate speech, and content moderation.  —  “Our digital rules ensure a safe, fair, and level playing field for all companies”  —  Merry Christmas 🎄  —  ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

• @natematias J. Nathan Matias on bluesky

  AI researchers need to understand that folks working on safety, bias, transparency, and audits could well be next.  —  We urgently need to prepare for when it comes to our communities - hoping to stay at arms length will not protect anyone in the long term.  —  www.nytimes.com/20…

• @nilsgilman Nils Gilman on bluesky

  Sanctioning individuals is a long-standing policy instrument for the U.S. — it's just that the Trumpniks are no longer applying it to the likes of genocidaires or arms smugglers but instead are using it to harass human rights activists, climate campaigners, etc. www.nytimes.com/2…

• @profbillmcguire Prof Bill McGuire on bluesky

  So, only people who support hate speech are now allowed into the US  —  How much longer is the US public going to stand for the acceleration towards an autocratic state?  —  Will 2026 see the start of an effective fight-back - or the arrival of a full-on dictatorship  —  www.theg…

• @philipmai.com Philip Mai on bluesky

  In a swipe at the EU, the US denies visas to a former EU commissioner and others over the enforcement of EU anti-hate speech laws on social media. www.bbc.com/news/article...

• @cambsforeurope @cambsforeurope on bluesky

  Another one to file under “This is NOT normal behaviour by a supposed democracy and ally”.  —  This isn't about censorship, if it was the US would be sanctioning Russian and Chinese government figures who really are suppressing free speech.  —  www.bbc.com/news/article...  (1/2) …

• @peterjukes Peter Jukes on bluesky

  Another sanction by the Trump administration that exceeds the Kremlin's wildest dreams, and shows exactly how and why Putin's agenda lines up with the tech bros  —  www.theguardian.com/politics/ liv...

• @goodlawproject.org Jolyon Maugham KC on bluesky

  A grim sense of Russia about these US travel restrictions, of testing and testing how far it can go and how strong is the pushback it gets. ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

• @davekeating.substack.com Dave Keating on bluesky

  The 🇪🇺Commission “strongly condemns the 🇺🇸decision”.  —  The EU has “the sovereign right to regulate economic activity in line with our democratic values and international commitments.”  —  “If needed, we will respond swiftly and decisively to defend our regulatory autonomy again…

• @tokarski Paweł Tokarski on bluesky

  Visa bans may be moderate, but the message isn't: the US is signaling it feels entitled to challenge EU rules governing digital speech.  —  www.state.gov/releases/off...

• @caseynewton Casey Newton on bluesky

  The US just banned a guy from the country (Imran Ahmed) for pointing out that X is full of hate speech [embedded post]

• @noupside Renee DiResta on bluesky

  The US State Department is now going to be deporting people and/or revoking visas over Benz, Taibbi, and Shellenberger's “censorship industrial complex” hoax.  —  Let that sink in.  This is what the Twitter Files pretext was actually about.  Water boys for authoritarians.  —  www…

• r/politics r on reddit

  U.S. Bars 5 European Tech Regulators and Researchers

• r/unitedkingdom r on reddit

  Two British anti-hate speech campaigners sanctioned by US state department - UK politics live

• r/ukpolitics r on reddit

  Two British anti-hate speech campaigners sanctioned by US state department - UK politics live |  Politics

• r/europe r on reddit

  US denies visas to ex-EU commissioner and others over social media rules

• r/DeclineIntoCensorship r on reddit

  United States Department of State: Announcement of Actions to Combat the Global Censorship-Industrial Complex

• r/europeanunion r on reddit

  Former EU commissioner and activists barred from US in attack on European tech regulators

• r/politics r on reddit

  Former EU commissioner and activists barred from US in attack on European tech regulators

• r/politics r on reddit

  They Seek to Curb Online Hate.  The U.S. Accuses Them of Censorship.

• @alexvonwitzleben @alexvonwitzleben on bluesky

  Commission strongly condemns the US decision to impose travel restrictions on five European individuals, including former European Commissioner Thierry Breton.  Our digital rules ensure a safe, fair, and level playing field for all companies ec.europa.eu/commission/p... #DonaldTr…

• @justinhendrix Justin Hendrix on bluesky

  “The European Commission strongly condemns the US decision to impose travel restrictions on five European individuals, including former European Commissioner Thierry Breton.  Freedom of expression is a fundamental right in Europe and a shared core value with the US across the dem…

• @mrsmnash @mrsmnash on bluesky

  Good.  The EU was being a meanie to Leon so Trump does him a solid and puts more sanctions.  F* that shit.  Hit him back.  Hard.

• r/europe r on reddit

  EU warns of possible action after the US bars 5 Europeans accused of censorship

• NewsMax.com Jim Mishler on x

  US Pressures Allies Over Rules Targeting American Tech

• @mporielly Mike O'Rielly on x

  Massive credit to ⁦@POTUS⁩ Trump Admin for focus on foreign government's attack on American companies. Biden Admin actually cheered these corruptible forces. Looking forward to seeing this fight through and getting fixes! See ⁦@politico⁩ story: https://www.politico.com/...