France Condemns US Visa Restrictions on EU Digital Act Advocates
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot denounced the US visa bans in a post on X, stating that France vehemently opposes the restrictions on Breton and other European citizens. Barrot emphasized that the EU’s Digital Services Act was democratically enacted to ensure online and offline legal consistency, with no extraterritorial implications targeting the US.
Thierry Breton, former EU Commissioner and key architect of the Digital Services Act, personally condemned the visa ban, asserting that 90% of the European Parliament and all 27 member states supported the legislation. The US State Department accused Breton and four others—Imran Ahmed, Josephine Ballon, Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, and Claire Melford—of pressuring American tech companies through anti-disinformation initiatives.
Current EU Internal Market Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné declared that no sanctions would silence European nations. The dispute follows the EU’s recent €120 million fine against X, owned by US President Donald Trump’s ally Elon Musk, for violating online content rules. US diplomats have been instructed to oppose the Digital Services Act, which Washington claims restricts free speech despite its focus on countering hate speech and disinformation.
