The Trump administration took a dramatic stand for free expression on Tuesday, announcing sanctions against five European figures accused of spearheading what officials describe as a “global censorship-industrial complex.”
The move bars the individuals from entering the United States and sends a clear warning to foreign governments attempting to police American speech.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the action targets European “ideologues” who have worked to pressure U.S.-based platforms into suppressing viewpoints protected under the First Amendment. He made clear that the list could grow if European leaders continue what the administration views as aggressive and unlawful censorship efforts.
“For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose,” Rubio said. “The Trump Administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.” He added that the State Department stands ready to expand the sanctions if those responsible refuse to reverse course.
The sanctions do not include financial penalties but revoke or deny U.S. visas for the five individuals named. They include European Union Commissioner Thierry Breton of France; Imran Ahmed, the British chief executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate; British businesswoman Clare Melford, who leads the Global Disinformation Index; and Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, leaders of the German organization HateAid.
Breton played a key role in crafting the European Union’s Digital Services Act, which requires social media platforms to police content deemed illegal or misleading by EU authorities. That law was recently used to punish Elon Musk’s X, a move that drew sharp condemnation from the Trump administration as an attack on free speech.
Ahmed’s Center for Countering Digital Hate has faced criticism for allegedly coordinating with the Biden administration and major tech companies to censor American voices, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The group gained prominence after producing a so-called “disinformation dozen” list that claimed 12 Facebook accounts were responsible for the majority of vaccine misinformation. One of those accounts belonged to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now serving as President Trump’s secretary of Health and Human Services, according to State Department officials.
Melford’s Global Disinformation Index was funded through a Biden-era program aimed at combating misinformation, which Rubio shut down earlier this year. The organization placed several conservative and mainstream U.S. media outlets on a “Dynamic Exclusion List” distributed to advertisers, labeling publications such as the New York Post, Reason, The Daily Wire, and the Federalist as “risky.” The Daily Wire currently has an active lawsuit against the State Department, alleging suppression of conservative media under the previous administration.
HateAid, led by Ballon and von Hodenberg, is classified as a “trusted” censor under the Digital Services Act and has repeatedly targeted right-leaning voices, according to the State Department. Ballon previously said in a “60 Minutes” interview that free speech requires limits, arguing that unrestricted expression intimidates others.
European leaders reacted angrily. French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the travel bans, calling them an attempt to undermine Europe’s digital sovereignty.
President Trump and Rubio have increasingly pushed back against Europe’s approach to online speech. Rubio recently warned that freedom of expression is “eroding” overseas and raised concerns that Americans could one day face arrest abroad over social media posts. Trump echoed those concerns after the EU fined X earlier this month, warning that Europe is “going in some bad directions.”
The administration’s message is clear: the United States will not allow foreign governments to dictate what Americans can say online, and those who try will face consequences.
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