The EU warns of possible action after the US imposes travel bans on five Europeans, saying it will defend its “regulatory autonomy against unjustified measures”
What You Need to Know for Your Next Trip Mohd Haider / Benzinga : Elon Musk Reacts To US Travel Ban On Former EU Commissioner: ‘...Gets His Dessert’ Sky News : EU warns of possible action after US bars five Europeans accused of censorship Reuters : EU, France, Germany slam US visa bans as ‘censorship’ row deepens Brett T. / twitchy.com : Former EU Commissioner Butthurt About Being Banned From the US for Censorship Shubhangi Chowdhury / The American Bazaar : US bars former EU commissioner, citing ‘censorship of Americans’ Kurt Zindulka / Breitbart : EU Threatens Retaliation Against U.S. After Ex-Censorship Tsar Breton Sanctioned Teri Christoph / RedState : EU Melts Down After Rubio Sanctions Foreign Agents Who Colluded With Big Tech to Censor Americans Taipei Times : US denies ex-EU commissioner visa Hamid Ganji / Neowin : US denies visas to five Europeans behind campaign to regulate US tech giants Sharon Kehnemui / New York Sun : European Commission Condemns Sanctions on Europeans Accused by State Department of Anti-American Censorship Business Insider : The US banned a former EU official's visa over Big Tech rules — and the fight is playing out on X Ryan Mancini / The Hill : US places visa bans on five Europeans, escalating ‘free speech’ fight RTÉ : EU, France, Germany slam US visa bans as ‘censorship’ dispute deepens The Indian Express : US State Department denies visas to ex-top EU official, UK campaigners, impose sanctions for ‘censorship’ Carys Garland / France 24 : EU warns of possible action after the US bars five Europeans combating online hate American Greatness : State Dept Restricts European Leaders Who Pressured Tech Firms to Censor Americans Online Ed Morrissey / HotAir : Sacre Bleu! Macron Steams After US Bars Censorship-Happy EU Officials Alexander Smith / NBC News : Europe pushes back at Trump's ‘authoritarian’ sanctions on anti-disinformation figures Tyler Durden / ZeroHedge News : Trump Admin Bans Anti-Free Speech EU Globalists From Entering US Kim Mackrael / Wall Street Journal : U.S. Sanctions Former EU Official Over Digital-Content Law Washington Post : Europe condemns U.S. move to bar individuals over tech monitoring Dmitri Bolt / Townhall : US Sanctions Five European's Behind the ‘Global Censorship-Industrial Complex’ Le Monde : EU ‘strongly condemns’ US sanctions against five Europeans over digital regulation Beatrice Nolan / Fortune : Trump administration bars 5 prominent Europeans from the U.S., accusing them of pressuring tech firms to ‘censor’ American speech Rebecca Falconer / Axios : Trump admin bars 5 Europeans it says led drive to “censor” U.S. views online Willa Pope Robbins / Mediaite : ‘Intimidation and Coercion’: Emmanuel Macron Slams Trump's EU Visa Sanctions Anupriya Datta / Euractiv : US visa bans spark EU backlash over digital rules Al Jazeera : US bars five Europeans over alleged efforts to ‘censor American viewpoints’ Robert Semonsen / The Gateway Pundit : Trump State Department Bars EU-Linked Globalists from Entry for Pushing Anti-Free Speech Censorship Ryan King / New York Post : Trump admin bars five European officials from entering US due to ‘extraterritorial censorship’ campaign Tom Chivers / Semafor : US denies EU citizens visas over social media ‘censorship’ Jennifer Hansler / KIFI-TV : State Department imposes sanctions on former EU official, disinformation group leaders for ‘censorship’ Eric Martin / Bloomberg Law : US Sanctions Former EU Official, Others in Swipe at Europe Eric Martin / Bloomberg : US Sanctions Former EU Official, Others in Swipe at Europe X: Emmanuel Macron / @emmanuelmacron : France condemns the visa restriction measures taken by the United States against Thierry Breton and four other European figures. These measures amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty. The European Union's digital regulations were adopted following a democratic and sovereign process by the European Parliament and the Council. Aurore Lalucq / @aurorelalucq : Lovely, but not enough. We need to build our independence now. It starts with our payment systems, a sovereign cloud, and an industrial policy for digital infrastructure and social networks. Ursula von der Leyen / @vonderleyen : Freedom of speech is the foundation of our strong and vibrant European democracy. We are proud of it. We will protect it. Because the @EU_Commission is the guardian of our values. Thierry Breton / @thierrybreton : 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.” Christopher Landau / @deputysecstate : @EU_Commission I strongly condemn this letter by @ThierryBreton seeking to censor @elonmusk and @realDonaldTrump. [image] @doge_state : Europe has zero internet sector, a stagnant economy, failing industrial base, structurally high unemployment, pervasive energy dependency, and no innovation sector. In order to build any of the below infrastructure, Europe will need to deregulate, abandon its nihilistic climate Preston Byrne / @prestonjbyrne : No. What happened is that the EU and UK have attempted to extraterritorially enforce their censorship laws against Americans. The United States isn't going to tolerate it. [image] Lazar Radic / @laz_radic : @CompetitionProf This seems to be more about the DSA than the DMA though Mujtaba Rahman / @mij_europe : This is the first time Macron has retaliated so angrily against the provocations of his alleged “friend” Donald Trump. The policy of appeasement and flattery is breaking down. Preston Byrne / @prestonjbyrne : As a U.S.-EU dual citizen and U.S.-UK dual qualified lawyer one would think I'm deeply conflicted over the U.S. finally taking on foreign censors I'm not. Never short America Michael MacKay / @mhmck : The Russia-backed Trump regime has broken away from alliances it took a century to forge, and ruined friendships that reached deep into American society. Following the doomed path of nihilism, the United States is lost for generations. Nile Gardiner / @nilegardiner : A monumental lie from @vonderleyen The dictatorial European Commission is the enemy of freedom of speech, not the protector of it. The European Union is a modern day Tower of Babel that will inevitably collapse. Roberta Metsola / @ep_president : Imposing a travel ban on former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton for doing his job as a European Commissioner, and others, is unacceptable. On behalf of @Europarl_EN, I urge for it to be rescinded quickly. @doge_state : No. What is really “unacceptable” and an infringement on sovereignty is foreign bureaucrats like @ThierryBreton attempting to strip Americans of their fundamental freedoms, censor an American President and meddle in an American election. These visa sanctions are a restrained Preston Byrne / @prestonjbyrne : I don't understand how the UK can say this, when they've literally threatened my American clients with jail time for exercising their U.S. free speech rights Svenja Hahn MdEP / @svenja_hahn : Trump's USA no longer see the EU as a partner, the DSA sanctions & threats against Greenland really make it clear to everyone. The EU must finally understand: If we are not willing to become a global power to defend our freedom & democracy, we will lose both. Adam Schiff / @senadamschiff : This is yet another chilling example of how far the Trump administration will go in service of his billionaire enablers. Hate speech and harm to kids online have exploded, and now the administration is targeting those working to combat it. Their greed knows no bounds. [image] Elon Musk / @elonmusk : Tyranny Breton gets his dessert Preston Byrne / @prestonjbyrne : The global censors are going to absolutely lose their minds when Congress passes a foreign censorship shield law Michael Shellenberger / @shellenberger : Your deep state swamp creature @ThierryBreton interfered in a US presidential election which led @vonderleyen to fire him with your permission. Now you're trying to censor your enemies because you have a 17% approval rating & can't govern. Merry Christmas! [image] @zerohedge : Literally 1984 Nicolas Petit / @competitionprof : If tech firms believe this is the way to go, let me be clear. This will achieve nothing except cement European's support for the DMA. Every tech firm with operations in Europe should condemn this appalling and useless threat on its citizens. [image] Jason Kint / @jason_kint : You can count on it that the same firms who see their gatekeeper power is threatened by the DMA are behind this effort to sanction and chill those who use free expression to speak out about harmful content distribution on their platforms. Preston Byrne / @prestonjbyrne : It's not just X that has been targeted by foreign censors - left-leaning sites like Wikipedia and Reddit are being targeted, too. Foreign governments shouldn't have the power to tell American citizens how we can use the Internet. This situation calls for a bipartisan response. Will Chamberlain / @willchamberlain : The Europeans who could build these things are in the United States now because of the same regulatory ossification you are trying to impose on American companies Guess what: you CAN'T be independent, so you should practice saying this: “Yes sir, President Trump.” Alberto Alemanno / @alemannoeu : At last, a response in kind by an EU leader to the US latest betrayal #EUCO Nikita Bier / @nikitabier : @ThierryBreton It has nothing to do with the DSA. It has to do with how your regulators interpreted the law: The platform that invented the checkmark has a right to determine its meaning. Claiming checkmarks misled users is absurd; this was the most widely publicized software update in history. Antoine Bondaz / @antoinebondaz : Our digital and territorial sovereignty is non-negotiable—whoever challenges it, whatever the cost. In a world of predators, you don't need to become one. You need to be strong enough that no one can devour you—and to command respect. Preston Byrne / @prestonjbyrne : The defining sovereignty fight of our age, one that sees one of the world's great federations and the UK fighting the American superpower, all started when 4chan refused to draft a three page memo when the British government ordered it to, and sued the British instead. lol Preston Byrne / @prestonjbyrne : Literally the only thing the EU would have to do to resolve this dispute is to agree that the Internet should be regulated as it was in, say, 2017. America didn't change its position. Europe tried to regulate America. And that doesn't work for America. Nic Carter / @nic_carter : @ThierryBreton mccarthy didn't go far enough [image] Christopher Landau / @deputysecstate : @EmmanuelMacron I don't recall France condemning this letter from @ThierryBreton seeking to censor @elonmusk and @realDonaldTrump. [image] Will Chamberlain / @willchamberlain : Yes, we have escalated. You should tell your European friends to stand down, lest we need to escalate any further. Marietje Schaake / @marietjeschaake : This is a major escalation. Alongside civil society representatives the Trump Administration sanctions former Commissioner @ThierryBreton for work he did in official capacity ↘️ @eu_commission : 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] Michael Weiss / @michaeldweiss : 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 @frenchresponse : 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 Bluesky: Rebekah Tromble / @rebekahtromble : This is the real cancel culture. — Using the full force of the government to punish perceived enemies, aid their billionaire tech cronies, and protect pedophiles, neo-Nazis, and other extremist, antisemitic hate groups. — THIS is the threat to our rights and freedoms. — www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/t... Don Moynihan / @donmoyn : The American government is banning regulators from other countries at the request of the richest man in the world, in a display that confirms they will punish any country not willing to sell their digital sovereignty as cheaply as the US has — www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/t... @gateklons : Maybe I misread but what possible action are we even warning about? It's all just PR condemnations, nothing about retaliating, no? [embedded post] @mrsmnash : 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. Justin Hendrix / @justinhendrix : “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 democratic world.” @alexvonwitzleben : 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... #DonaldTrump #Republicans Mastodon: Alice Stollmeyer / @AliceStollmeyer@eupolicy.social : Statement EU Commission on U.S. decision to impose travel restrictions on certain EU individuals: — “The EU is an open, rules-based single market, with the sovereign right to regulate economic activity in line with our democratic values and international commitments.” — https://ec.europa.eu/... … Forums: r/europe : EU warns of possible action after the US bars 5 Europeans accused of censorship r/IRstudies : U.S. Bars 5 European Tech Regulators and Researchers r/politics : U.S. Bars 5 European Tech Regulators and Researchers See also Mediagazer