The United States has sanctioned former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton and four European activists, accusing them of helping build a “global censorship industrial complex” that influenced American political speech.
Washington points to Breton’s Digital Services Act and his 2024 letter warning Elon Musk about harmful content ahead of a Trump interview, calling it an attempt to shape a US election.
Europe insists the letter applied only to EU users.
Visa bans also hit Imran Ahmed of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, Clare Melford of the Global Disinformation Index, and HateAid leaders Anna Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon.
The State Department says more sanctions may follow.
