Washington steps up interference: former European Commissioner Thierry Breton sanctioned

The US authorities have banned five European nationals from entering the country, accusing them of taking action to pressure major digital platforms to restrict or remove content deemed problematic. This decision, announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, marks a new stage in the confrontation between Washington and Brussels over digital regulation and online freedom of expression.

Among those targeted is Thierry Breton, former European Commissioner for the Internal Market, presented by the US administration as one of the architects of European legislation governing digital platforms. Also targeted are officials and leaders of organisations active in the fight against disinformation and hate speech, particularly in the United Kingdom and Germany. According to the State Department, these actors have participated in coordinated efforts to compel US companies to censor or marginalise viewpoints originating in the United States.

Marco Rubio accuses these European officials and non-governmental organisations of promoting, through their actions, censorship policies carried out by foreign states, directly targeting US companies and participants in public debate in the United States. The administration believes that these practices undermine freedom of expression and US national interests, and justifies the use of immigration law to sanction those involved.

This initiative is part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration on online content. For several months, Washington has been openly criticising the Digital Services Act, the European regulation designed to combat hate speech, disinformation and illegal content, and has been trying to weaken it by any means possible. The US authorities consider this regulatory framework to be an instrument of excessive control, likely to impose significant costs on US technology companies and restrict freedom of expression. However, Washington has not said a word about Russia or China, which completely ban the platforms in question.

The sanctions announced take the form of visa bans, which in practice prevent the individuals concerned from entering the United States. Even though many European citizens normally benefit from the visa waiver programme, they are still subject to prior authorisation, managed by the US authorities, which may be refused. US officials indicate that some of the individuals targeted may already have been reported to the relevant authorities.

Reactions were swift. Thierry Breton publicly denounced what he perceives as a resurgence of methods akin to a witch hunt, while the organisations concerned strongly contest the accusations against them. One of them describes the US decision as immoral, illegal and contrary to democratic principles, seeing it as an authoritarian attack on freedom of expression.

Beyond the individuals targeted, this case illustrates a growing divide between the United States and the European Union on digital governance. It raises the question of the balance of power between states, technology companies and civil society, and heralds a period of prolonged tension over standards, values and control of the global information space. The Guardian

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