US denies visas to EU ex-commissioner, four others over tech rules

The US State Department says it will deny visas to a former European Union commissioner and four others, accusing them of seeking to “coerce” American social media platforms into censoring viewpoints they oppose.

“These radical activists and weaponized NGOs have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states — in each case targeting American speakers and American companies,” the State Department says in a statement announcing the sanctions.

The measure targets Thierry Breton, the former top tech regulator at the European Commission, who often clashed with tech tycoons such as Elon Musk over their obligations to follow EU rules.

Breton is described by the State Department as the “mastermind” of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), a major piece of legislation that imposes content moderation and other standards on major social media platforms.

The DSA has become a bitter rallying point for US conservatives who see it as a weapon of censorship against right-wing thought in Europe and beyond, an accusation the EU furiously denies.

The DSA stipulates that major platforms must explain content-moderation decisions, provide transparency for users and ensure researchers can carry out essential work, such as understanding how much children are exposed to dangerous content.