The Trump administration has banned five European figures from entering the U.S., accusing them of pressuring American tech companies to censor online speech. The individuals—including former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton—are linked to Europe’s Digital Services Act and anti-disinformation efforts. The move has triggered diplomatic backlash, with European leaders condemning the sanctions as intimidation.
The Trump administration has barred five Europeans from entering the U.S., accusing them of pressuring American tech companies to censor or suppress American speech online. The individuals—Thierry Breton, Imran Ahmed, Josephine Ballon, Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, and Clare Melford—are all leading figures in European efforts to regulate harmful or illegal content on social media platforms.
The five were barred under a May policy targeting foreign nationals deemed responsible for suppressing speech protected under U.S. law.
“For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X. “The Trump administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.
