Germany says US visa bans over tech rules 'not acceptable'

"Washington announced sanctions on Tuesday against Thierry Breton, the former top tech regulator at the European Commission, and four others -- including two members of the German group. It accused them of promoting "censorship crackdowns by foreign states -- in each case targeting American speakers and American companies". Breton was described by the State Department as the "mastermind" of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) that imposes content moderation and other standards on major social media platforms operating in Europe."

""The entry bans imposed by the USA, including those against the chairpersons of HateAid, are not acceptable," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul wrote in a post on X. "The DSA was democratically adopted by the EU for the EU - it does not have extraterritorial effect," he added. HateAid in a statement called the US government decision an "act of repression by an administration that increasingly disregards the rule of law and tries to silence its critics with all its might""

Washington denied visas to five prominent European tech figures, including Thierry Breton and two members of the German organization HateAid, citing their promotion of "censorship crackdowns by foreign states" targeting American speakers and companies. The State Department described Breton as the "mastermind" behind the EU's Digital Services Act, which imposes content moderation and standards on major social media platforms. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called the entry bans unacceptable and said the DSA was democratically adopted for the EU and lacks extraterritorial effect. HateAid labelled the measures an "act of repression" and vowed not to be intimidated. Washington has intensified pressure after Brussels fined X for DSA violations.

Read at The Local Germany