France today condemned a U.S. visa ban on Thierry Breton, a former European Union commissioner who helped drive landmark online regulation that Washington believes censors free speech and unfairly targets U.S. tech giants. The Trump administration imposed visa bans yesterday on Breton, one of the architects of the EU’s Digital Services Act, DSA and other anti-disinformation campaigners, it says, who were involved in censoring U.S. social media platforms. 

 

French President Emmanuel Macron said these measures amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty. Germany’s Justice Ministry said the two German activists had the government’s support and solidarity, and the visa bans on them were unacceptable.

 

The EU says DSA is meant to make the online environment safer, in part by compelling tech giants to do more to tackle illegal content, including hate speech and child sexual abuse material. Washington has said the EU is pursuing undue restrictions on freedom of expression in its efforts to combat hateful speech, misinformation and disinformation.

 

It also alleged that the DSA unfairly targets U.S. tech giants and U.S. citizens. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the DSA was approved in a democratic process and had no extraterritorial reach and in no way affects the United States.

 

The European Commission has also strongly condemned the U.S. decision to impose a visa ban on five European individuals, including former EU commissioner Breton. A Commission spokesperson said today that they will respond swiftly and decisively to defend their regulatory autonomy against unjustified measures.