The Trump administration, through Secretary of State Marco Rubio, recently barred several European figures, including former EU digital commissioner Thierry Breton, from entering the U.S., citing their role in global censorship efforts.

Breton was a key architect of the EU’s Digital Services Act, which imposes rules on speech deemed “disinformation” or “incitement,” and threatened American companies like X to comply with European standards.

European politicians, including MEP Raphael Glucksmann, condemned the sanctions as an attack on European sovereignty, framing it as a clash over whether U.S. or EU rules should govern free speech.

The move reflects a broader U.S. push, supported by figures like Vice President JD Vance, to resist the globalization of censorship and defend constitutional free speech protections for American citizens, The Hill has reported.

While some critics decry travel bans, proponents argue they are necessary to counter transnational efforts to impose restrictive speech standards on the U.S.