US bars five Europeans it says pressured tech firms to censor American viewpoints online

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department announced Tuesday it was barring five Europeans it accused of leading efforts to pressure U.S. tech firms to censor or suppress American viewpoints.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not name those he said fell foul of a new visa policy announced in May to restrict the entry of foreigners deemed responsible for censorship of protected speech in the United States. He identified them only as “radical” activists and “weaponized” nongovernmental organizations.

“For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose,” Rubio posted on X. “The Trump Administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”

The five Europeans were later identified by Sarah Rogers, the under secretary of state for public diplomacy, in a series of posts on social media. They include a former European Union commissioner and the leaders of organizations that address digital hate.

Rubio’s statement said they advanced foreign government censorship campaigns against Americans and U.S. companies, which he said created “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences” for the U.S.

The action to bar them from the U.S. is part of a Trump administration campaign against foreign influence over online speech, using immigration law rather than platform regulations or sanctions.

The five named by Rogers are: Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate; Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, leaders of HateAid, a German organization; former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, who was responsible for digital affairs; and Clare Melford, who runs the Global Disinformation Index.

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, those targeted will generally be barred from entering the United States, and some may face removal proceedings if already in the country. Officials said the administration could expand the list if similar foreign actions continue.

Most Europeans are covered by the Visa Waiver Program, which means they don’t necessarily need visas to come into the country. They do, however, need to complete an online application prior to arrival under a system run by the Department of Homeland Security, so it is possible that at least some of these five people have been flagged to DHS, a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details not publicly released.

Other visa restriction policies were announced this year, along with bans targeting foreign visitors from certain African and Middle Eastern countries and the Palestinian Authority. Visitors from some countries could be required to post a financial bond when applying for a visa.

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Associated Press Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report.