European leaders condemn US visa bans as row over ‘censorship’ escalates

The Guardian - World NewsEN 5 min read 100% complete by Patrick Wintour Diplomatic EditorDecember 24, 2025 at 01:36 PM

AI Summary

long article 5 min

European leaders, including Emmanuel Macron, are condemning the US for imposing visa bans on five prominent European figures involved in regulating American tech companies. The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, justified the bans by accusing these individuals of coercing American platforms to censor opposing viewpoints. Those targeted include Thierry Breton, a key architect of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), and four anti-disinformation campaigners from Germany and the UK. The DSA, intended to control hate speech, is viewed by Washington as censorship. Germany, Spain, the UK, and EU officials have joined France in criticizing the US action, with Brussels threatening a response. Macron described the visa bans as intimidation aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Imran Ahmed 40% Anna-Lena von Hodenberg 40% Josephine Ballon 40% Clare Melford 40% Germany ×250% Marco Rubio 50% Donald Trump 50% Digital Services Act (DSA) ×260% Thierry Breton ×260% United States ×470% European Union ×470% Emmanuel Macron ×380%

Keywords

visa ban 90% censorship 80% us-europe relations 70% digital sovereignty 70% digital services act 70% disinformation 60% tech companies 60% emmanuel macron 50% hate speech 50% marco rubio 40%