The U.S. Department of State has imposed visa restrictions on five European figures, including a former European Union commissioner and several activists, accusing them of orchestrating efforts to pressure U.S. technology platforms to censor Americans’ free speech.
Rubio accused what he described as “radical activists and weaponized NGOs” of advancing foreign censorship campaigns that target American speakers and U.S. companies, adding that their activities posed “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences” for the United States.
President Donald Trump’s America First foreign policy rejects any violations of U.S. sovereignty, Rubio added, warning that the Department of Homeland Security could move to deport the affected individuals if they were present in the United States.
Former EU Commissioner Among Those Targeted
While Rubio did not name the individuals targeted by the travel bans, Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers identified them in social media posts. The most prominent figure is Thierry Breton, a former French finance minister who served as the European commissioner for the Internal Market from 2019 to 2024 and was a key architect of the bloc’s digital rulebook.
Activists, NGOs Also Hit With Travel Bans
The other individuals subject to visa bans are Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the U.S.-based Center for Countering Digital Hate; Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of the German nonprofit HateAid; and Clare Melford, a co-founder of the Global Disinformation Index (GDI).
Rogers accused Melford and others of falsely labeling online speech as hate or disinformation and of encouraging blacklisting and demonetization of American media using public funds. Melford has previously said GDI’s goal was to undermine the business model of what it considers harmful online content by helping advertisers avoid funding “polarizing and divisive” content.
A spokesperson for GDI called the travel bans “immoral, unlawful, and un-American” and “an authoritarian attack on free speech and an egregious act of government censorship.”
Germany’s justice ministry said it stands by the two German activists and described the visa bans against them as unacceptable, adding that HateAid supported people affected by online hate speech.
“Anyone who describes this as censorship is misrepresenting our constitutional system,” it said in a statement. “The rules by which we want to live in the digital space in Germany and in Europe are not decided in Washington.”
“Our digital rules ensure a safe, fair, and level playing field for all companies, applied fairly and without discrimination,” the commission said.
“If needed, we will respond swiftly and decisively to defend our regulatory autonomy against unjustified measures.”
