The United States government has imposed visa restrictions on five citizens of the European Union and the United Kingdom, including a former European commissioner and activists linked to digital content regulation. The U.S. State Department reported this, according to the Noticias Argentinas news agency. Among those listed is former European Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, whom they described as "the mastermind of the Digital Services Act." Also included are Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate; Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon from the German organization HateAid; and Clare Melford, co-founder of the Global Disinformation Index. From Europe, Hodenberg and Ballon stated in a statement that the visa ban is aimed at hindering the application of European legislation to American companies operating on the continent. In this context, Washington reiterated its rejection of the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA), a regulation designed to combat hate speech and disinformation. "The State Department is taking decisive action against five individuals who have led organized efforts to coerce U.S. platforms into censoring, demonetizing, and suppressing U.S. viewpoints they oppose," stated Secretary of State Marco Rubio, without initially naming them. Hours later, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers revealed the identities of the sanctioned individuals on social media platform X.
