The Trump administration has announced visa sanctions against five European figures involved in strict tech regulation, including former French commissioner Thierry Breton, accused of censorship harmful to US interests. Paris has strongly denounced the measure, defending European digital sovereignty. This decision fits into a broader offensive against EU rules on online platforms.
On December 23, 2025, the US State Department justified the visa ban for these five individuals by accusing them of 'censorship' actions harmful to US interests. The announcement unfolded in stages: an initial unnamed communiqué, followed by a post on X from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and then the identities revealed by Under Secretary Sarah Rogers.
Among those affected, Thierry Breton, former EU Commissioner for the Internal Market from 2019 to 2024 and architect of the Digital Services Act (DSA), leads the list. The other four are NGO representatives: Imran Ahmed, head of the UK-based Center for Countering Digital Hate; Clare Melford, leading the British Global Disinformation Index (GDI); and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon from the German NGO HateAid.
'For too long, European ideologues have coordinated actions to force American platforms to sanction American opinions they oppose,' stated Marco Rubio on X. He added that 'the Trump administration will no longer tolerate these blatant acts of extraterritorial censorship'.
France reacted sharply: 'France strongly denounces the visa restriction imposed by the United States against Thierry Breton [...] and four other European figures,' posted Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on X. 'The peoples of Europe are free and sovereign and cannot have rules imposed on their digital space by others'.
This clash highlights escalating tensions. Washington criticizes the EU's obligations on platforms as attacks on free speech, especially after the $140 million fine on X in early December. The recent US National Security Strategy targets Europe for its 'censorship' and other policies. As early as February, Vice President JD Vance decried a retreat of free speech in Europe, and in May, visa restrictions for 'censors' were announced. A recent memo also targets H-1B visas for content moderators.
