The US Begins Sanctions Against Europe, French Media: After the US Prohibited Five Europeans from Entering the Country, Europe Expresses Outrage and Strongly Condemns

On Wednesday, December 24, the EU requested the US to provide "clarification" and strongly condemned the Trump administration's "unjustified" sanctions against former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton and four other Europeans. The US Department of State accused these five individuals of pressuring technology companies to review Americans' views online, harming US interests, and imposed a ban on their entry into the United States. However, Europe believes that these five people have long been committed to promoting stricter technology regulation and combating disinformation.

Thierry Breton, a Frenchman, served as the EU Commissioner for the Internal Market (2019-2024) and previously held a ministerial position in France. He is a major proponent of the EU's Digital Services Act and has extensive authority in digital and industrial affairs. On the social media platform X, he criticized the emergence of a "McCarthyist wind" in the US, alluding to the anti-communist "witch hunt" initiated by US Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s. In short, it is a criticism of the Trump administration's practice of suppressing differing voices on political grounds.

This station's earlier article pointed out that the US accuses these individuals of pressuring Meta, X, and other platforms to remove content deemed to spread false information, especially content related to the Israel-Hamas war. For the Trump administration, these practices, although legal within the EU, constitute a direct infringement on US sovereignty.

Strong Reactions from European Countries

Germany considers these measures "unacceptable."

French President Macron stated that these actions "constitute intimidation and coercion against European digital sovereignty."

Spain responded by stating that protecting a "safe digital space" is "crucial for European democracy" and expressed "solidarity" with "former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton and leaders of civil society organizations fighting against disinformation and hate speech."

Britain also joined the protest, stating that it is "fully committed to defending freedom of speech." A government spokesperson said, "While every country has the right to set its own visa rules, we support laws and institutions that are committed to protecting the internet from the most harmful content."

European citizens usually do not require a visa to travel to the US, but they still need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ESTA).

In Brussels, the European Commission stated that it has "requested clarification from US authorities." In a statement, the commission protested, "If necessary, we will respond swiftly and firmly to defend our regulatory autonomy against these unjustified measures."

On Monday, US Secretary of State Rubio strongly criticized "European ideologues," claiming that they "coordinated actions to force US platforms to punish American viewpoints they disagree with." He also stated, "The Trump administration will no longer tolerate this overt transnational censorship."

The US Criticizes Europe's Freedom of Speech as "Regressing"

Other than Breton, the other four sanctioned Europeans are from UK and German non-governmental organizations dedicated to combating disinformation and online hatred. They include Imran Ahmed, director of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) in the UK; Claire Mel福德, director of the Global Disinformation Index (GDI) in the UK; and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, founder of the German anti-online-hate organization HateAid, and member Josephine Baron.

GDI stated in a statement that the US sanctions "constitute an authoritarian attack on freedom of speech, naked government censorship." HateAid in Berlin protested, saying, "We will not be intimidated by a government that uses 'censorship' accusations to suppress those who defend human rights and freedom of speech." This German organization provides psychological and legal support to victims of online hatred.

Trump is launching a large-scale offensive against EU tech regulatory rules. These rules require platforms to comply with strict regulations, which the US believes infringe on freedom of speech.

In fact, the EU has the strongest digital regulatory legal system in the world. Washington is extremely upset about the EU's $140 million fine against Elon Musk's social media platform X in early December.

Since Trump returned to power, he has frequently criticized Europe. In his latest National Security Strategy, the US mentioned that Europe is facing a "civilizational decline" and pointed the finger at European institutions that "undermine political freedom and sovereignty," immigration policies, and the "collapse of birth rates across the European continent." Earlier this year, in February, US Vice President J.D. Vance shocked Europe during a speech in Munich, claiming that Europe's freedom of speech is "regressing."

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1852430842254340/

Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.