- State Department bars five Europeans Tuesday.
- Accused of pressuring U.S. tech firms.
- Efforts to censor American viewpoints.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the Europeans as "weaponized" nonprofit organizations and "radical" activists. They were targeted under a new visa policy that was introduced in May to limit the immigration of foreigners who were thought to be in charge of censoring protected speech in the United States.
“For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose,”
Rubio posted on X.
“The Trump Administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”
In a series of social media posts, Sarah Rogers, the under secretary of state for public diplomacy, identified the five Europeans. They include a former European Union commissioner who clashed with tech tycoon Elon Musk over airing an online interview with Donald Trump, as well as leaders of organizations that combat online abuse.
According to Rubio's remarks, they promoted censorship campaigns by foreign governments against Americans and American businesses, which he claimed had
"potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences"
for the United States.
The Trump administration's effort against foreign influence over internet discourse, which uses immigration law rather than platform restrictions or fines, includes the action to prohibit them from entering the US.
Rogers listed five Europeans: Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, leaders of the German group HateAid; Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate; The Global Disinformation Index's director, Clare Melford; and former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, who oversaw social media regulations
In her article on X, Rogers referred to Breton, a French business magnate and former finance minister, as the "mastermind" of the EU's Digital Services Act, which enforces stringent regulations intended to protect internet users.
She mentioned Breton alerting Musk to the potential "amplification of harmful content" by airing his livestream interview with Trump during his presidential campaign in August 2024.
In response, Breton stated on X on Tuesday that the Digital Services Act was approved by all 27 EU nations in 2022.
“To our American friends: ‘Censorship isn’t where you think it is,’”
he wrote.
France denounces the visa restrictions on Breton and the four others, according to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. He said on X that the DSA was implemented to guarantee that "what is illegal offline is also illegal online."
The co-CEOs of HateAid, Ballon and von Hodenberg, described it as
"an act of repression by a government that is increasingly disregarding the rule of law and trying to silence its critics by any means necessary"
in a statement.
The majority of Europeans are not required to have a visa in order to enter the nation because they are covered by the Visa Waiver Program. However, under a system administered by the Department of Homeland Security, they must complete an online application before arriving, so it is possible that at least some of these five individuals have been reported to DHS, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss information not made public.
This year, limitations on foreign visitors from several Middle Eastern and African nations as well as the Palestinian Authority were announced, coupled with further policies restricting visas. When applying for a visa, visitors from certain nations may be asked to post a financial bond.
What specific actions led to their visa bans?
The U.S. State Department barred five Europeans on December 23, 2025, citing their leadership in systematized efforts to force U.S. tech platforms into censoring, demonetizing, or suppressing American shoes opposed by foreign governments.
Manipulated the Digital Services Act( DSA), hanging X proprietor Elon Musk over compliance and obliging platforms for content temperance on hate speech and intimation. Banded with the Biden administration to target" Disinformation Dozen" figures like RFK Jr., weaponizing the government against U.S. citizens via platform deplatforming.
Secretary Marco Rubio invoked visa restrictions under immigration law for" potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences," targeting the" suppression NGO ecosystem" without felonious charges.