The administration led by President Trump has enacted entry prohibitions targeting five specialists in European technology policy, among them a previous European Union commissioner. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented, 'For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose. The Trump Administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.'
Thierry Breton, previously the EU Commissioner responsible for Internal Markets and Digital Services, has been named in these restrictions. Under Secretary of State Sarah Rogers described him as the key architect behind the Digital Services Act. Rogers indicated that Breton had warned Elon Musk regarding active enforcement actions against X for failing to address 'illegal content' and 'disinformation' as defined by the DSA, right ahead of Musk's discussion with President Trump.
The bans also apply to Imran Ahmed, associated with the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), who advocated for removing American vaccine skeptics from online platforms. This group includes Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., currently serving as the US Secretary of Health.
Clare Melford, affiliated with the United Kingdom's Global Disinformation Index, faces the same entry bar. The organization tracks online services for instances of hate speech.
Additionally, Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon, members of the German group HateAid, are subject to these measures. HateAid identifies online hate speech to support EU compliance with DSA requirements.
According to The New York Times, the entry restrictions highlight the administration's strong ties to internet and technology firms, which stand to gain from any relaxation or elimination of DSA provisions. The Global Disinformation Index labeled the restrictions 'an authoritarian attack on free speech and an egregious act of government censorship.' In response, von Hodenberg and Ballon described the actions as a significant intensification, stating, 'The US government is clearly questioning European sovereignty.'