The US State Department stopped visas for five Europeans. These people are accused of pressuring social media companies. They tried to stop some ideas on these websites. This is a strong message from Washington. It shows a fight about online rules. The US government says this is foreign censorship. They say it hurts American speakers and companies.
This is about the EU's Digital Services Act. This law makes companies more responsible. But US officials worry this law helps foreign interference. They also fear it can stop free speech. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said some groups push for censorship. He said these actions hurt Americans and US companies.
Thierry Breton is one person affected. He was an EU Commissioner. He helped make the DSA law. Breton said, "Censorship isn’t where you think it is." This shows different ideas about online rules.
The US also says these people pressured X. X is a big tech firm. X had problems with the European Commission. The Commission fined X money. It was for its blue tick system. X also stopped the Commission from advertising. This made things harder. Clare Melford is also affected.
The US worries about laws like the DSA. They fear these laws hurt American interests. They also worry about open talk. Some in the US think these rules hurt right-wing ideas. These visa stops show the US wants to stop foreign control. This may affect talks about internet freedom.