The US State Department on Tuesday imposed visa sanctions on a former top European Union official and employees of organizations that combat disinformation for alleged censorship – sharply ratcheting up the Trump administration’s fight against European regulations that have impacted digital platforms, far-right politicians and Trump allies, including Elon Musk.
In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the five sanctioned people of leading “organized efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetize, and suppress American viewpoints they oppose.”
Top Trump administration officials have repeatedly condemned European nations for alleged censorship, and the latest State Department human rights report alleged “significant human rights issues” in allies like the United Kingdom, France, and Germany over “serious restrictions on freedom of expression.”
Among those sanctioned Tuesday are Thierry Breton, a former European commissioner involved in the Digital Services Act (DSA), a sweeping EU law that requires Big Tech platforms to take meaningful steps to reduce illegal and harmful content.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Breton questioned: “Is McCarthy’s witch hunt back?”, referencing the late senator’s Cold-War era inquisition of alleged communists who he claimed had infiltrated American government institutions.
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