The United States State Department has announced visa restrictions against five individuals, including former European Union commissioner Thierry Breton, accusing them of attempting to coerce American social media platforms into suppressing viewpoints they oppose. Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterized the targets as “radical activists and weaponized NGOs” advancing foreign censorship campaigns against American companies and speakers.
Thierry Breton, previously the EU’s top technology regulator and architect of the Digital Services Act (DSA), denounced the move as a “witch hunt.” The DSA legislation, which mandates content moderation requirements for social media firms, has drawn criticism from U.S. conservatives who view it as targeting right-wing opinions—a claim Brussels denies.
The announcement escalates ongoing tensions between U.S. tech platforms and European regulators. Breton has previously clashed with Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter), regarding compliance with EU regulations. Recently, the European Commission fined X €120 million for deceptive practices related to its verification system, prompting the platform to block Commission advertising.
Other individuals targeted include Clare Melford of the Global Disinformation Index, accused of using U.S. taxpayer funds to suppress American speech, and Imran Ahmed of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, described as a “key collaborator” in government weaponization efforts. German organization HateAid representatives Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon were also sanctioned.
Reactions from those targeted were uniformly critical, with statements characterizing the visa bans as “authoritarian attacks on free speech” and acts of government repression. The State Department maintained that the measures protect American sovereignty from extraterritorial overreach by foreign censors, aligning with the Trump administration’s America First foreign policy.