US Denies Visas to EU Commissioner and Others Over Social Media Regulations

The US State Department announced it would deny visas to former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton and four others in protest of European social media regulations, citing efforts to coerce American platforms to censor and suppress viewpoints. Breton called the move a "witch hunt," while the GDI and the French government condemned it as an attack on free speech and unlawful government action.

The US State Department announced on Tuesday that it would deny visas to former European Union Commissioner Thierry Breton and four other individuals in response to what it described as European regulatory overreach regarding social media platforms. This decision comes at a time of rising tensions between the United States and Europe, with the Trump administration accusing European authorities of imposing measures that undermine freedoms and limit the operation of American digital platforms abroad.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the five people targeted with visa restrictions “have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetize, and suppress American viewpoints they oppose.” Initially, Rubio did not reveal the names of those affected, but Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers later identified the individuals through a social media post, providing more clarity on the targeted parties.
Rogers specifically described Thierry Breton as the "mastermind" behind the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA), a law that enforces content moderation, transparency, and accountability requirements on major social media companies operating within Europe. The DSA is designed to regulate online platforms’ handling of illegal and harmful content, as well as to promote safer digital spaces for users. The State Department also highlighted that HateAid, an organization recognized for its role as a “trusted flagger,” functions as part of the DSA’s enforcement framework, helping to flag content for moderation.
In reaction to the visa ban, Breton criticized the US government, calling the action a "witch hunt." Addressing Americans directly, he wrote on X, “To our American friends: Censorship isn’t where you think it is,” emphasizing his belief that concerns about online freedom were being misrepresented.
The Global Digital Initiative (GDI), a prominent organization advocating for digital rights, condemned the US measures, describing them as “immoral, unlawful, and un-American.” The GDI further called the visa restrictions “an authoritarian attack on free speech and an egregious act of government censorship,” arguing that the United States’ actions contradicted its own values of promoting freedom of expression.
The French government also voiced its strong disapproval of the US decision. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot posted on X, stating, “France strongly condemns the visa restriction imposed by the United States on Thierry Breton, former minister and European Commissioner, and four other European figures.” Barrot’s statement underscored France’s official stance against what it sees as an unjustified interference in European affairs by the US administration.
The visa restrictions come amid an increasingly complex transatlantic debate over the regulation of digital platforms, online content moderation, and the balance between freedom of expression and the enforcement of rules designed to prevent harmful or illegal content. As the situation develops, it highlights the broader friction between American and European approaches to technology governance, digital sovereignty, and the protection of individual rights in the online space.