US Slaps Visa Ban on EU Officials, Accused of a “Witch Hunt”

Brussels/Washington. The United States has imposed visa restrictions on former European Union (EU) Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, a key architect behind the EU’s stringent Digital Services Act (DSA), and four other officials from the EU and Britain. The U.S. State Department took this step, claiming they were involved in the censorship of content on U.S. social media platforms.

In response, EU Commissioner for Industrial Strategy and Executive Vice President Stephane Sejourne expressed “total solidarity” with Breton and all affected officials. He wrote on social media platform X, “No sanction will silence the sovereignty of the European peoples.” His firm stance in support of digital regulation has heightened tensions on both sides of the Atlantic.

This tension began after the Digital Services Act came into full force in November last year. It escalated sharply on December 5th, when the European Commission issued its first non-compliance decision under the act, fining social media company X (formerly Twitter) 120 million euros (approximately 141.6 million U.S. dollars). The fine was levied for violations related to integrity and transparency (the blue verification system, advertising, and public data availability).

Former Commissioner Breton condemned the visa restrictions as a “new witch hunt.” He emphasized, “The Digital Services Act was passed through a transparent democratic process. It was supported by an overwhelming majority in the European Parliament and accepted by all 27 EU member states.” His statement underscores that Europe’s digital regulation is the result of a collective will.

This incident marks a chapter in the growing geopolitical competition across the Atlantic over digital sovereignty, regulation, and ‘tech supremacy’. As Europe strives to enforce its own laws and values in its digital market, the clash between the U.S. government and tech giants is increasingly taking the form of a public international diplomatic dispute.