The European Union, France and Germany are furious at the U.S. State Department and Marco Rubio for issuing visa bans against European political figures who are involved in censorship under the guise of combating online hate and disinformation. Brussels said Wednesday it will “respond swiftly and decisively” against the “unjustified measures.”
The first EU political group to be targeted with the visa bans includes French former EU commissioner Thierry Breton, who was one of the architects of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). Also: Imran Ahmed, the British CEO of the U.S.-based Center for Countering Digital Hate, Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of the German non-profit HateAid, and Clare Melford, co-founder of the Global Disinformation Index.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the first five people targeted with visa bans “have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetize and suppress American viewpoints they oppose.”
STATE DEPT – Free speech is among the most cherished rights we enjoy as Americans. This right, legally enshrined in our constitution, has set us apart as a beacon of freedom around the world. Even as we take action to reject censorship at home, we see troubling instances of foreign governments and foreign officials picking up the slack. In some instances, foreign officials have taken flagrant censorship actions against U.S. tech companies and U.S. citizens and residents when they have no authority to do so.
Today, I am announcing a new visa restriction policy that will apply to foreign nationals who are responsible for censorship of protected expression in the United States. It is unacceptable for foreign officials to issue or threaten arrest warrants on U.S. citizens or U.S. residents for social media posts on American platforms while physically present on U.S. soil. It is similarly unacceptable for foreign officials to demand that American tech platforms adopt global content moderation policies or engage in censorship activity that reaches beyond their authority and into the United States. We will not tolerate encroachments upon American sovereignty, especially when such encroachments undermine the exercise of our fundamental right to free speech.
This visa restriction policy is pursuant to Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which authorizes the Secretary of State to render inadmissible any alien whose entry into the Unites States “would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.” Certain family members may also be covered by these restrictions. (SOURCE)
PARIS, Dec 24 (Reuters) – The European Union, France and Germany condemned U.S. visa bans on five Europeans combating online hate and disinformation on Wednesday, after President Donald Trump’s administration took its latest swipe at long-standing allies across the Atlantic.
[…] In Brussels, Paris and Berlin, senior officials condemned the U.S. bans, and defended Europe’s right to legislate on how foreign companies operate locally.
A European Commission spokesperson said it “strongly condemns the U.S. decision”, adding: “Freedom of expression is a fundamental right in Europe and a shared core value with the United States across the democratic world.”
The spokesperson said the EU would seek answers from Washington but said it could “respond swiftly and decisively” against the “unjustified measures”.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been travelling across France to warn about the dangers that disinformation poses to democracy, said he had spoken with Breton and thanked him for his work.
“We will not give up, and we will protect Europe’s independence and the freedom of Europeans,” Macron said on X. (more)
Countries that don’t respect free speech are not allies.
AMEN YOUNG LADY
Well said…
Crazy that we took in so many of these people believing they wanted a better way of life.
We respected their cultures, history & their various religions, anticipating that they would respect our American history, culture and various established religions.
Appears that it didn’t take them long for them to figure out how to manipulate the systems that were helping them defrauding America of $$$BILLIONS $$$ upon $$$BILLIONS $$$
Yet seems they were not happy with just banking BILLIONS from Americans, they then started threatening America & Americans if they didn’t covert to their ways and religion!!
Worse part was and is so many were and are still taken in by their rhetoric blame and shame game.
WHY–How did so many fall their all their cries of Racist, when in actuality they were taking over America.
Appears that it didn’t take them long for them to figure out how to manipulate the systems…
They were instructed by the bureaucrats that profit from them being dependent on the bureaucracy.
Do know there have many groups that help teach the illegals finer points of applying for social services .prior to them crossing illegally. Could see Omar setting up such a group.
Outstanding! and True. 😎
If you want to know who is REALLY in power, notice who you are never allowed to criticize.
And just WHO do we have to blame for all of this???????????Why that would be the politicians and public serpents.
Is there a country on this planet that fully respects free speech?
I think you would be excellent at doing the research to answer the question.
No research required. The answer is a resounding “No!” And that was his point…
Fionnagh: the point is to keep him/her busy.
Christmas Day Australia. Our great country is slowing sinking under the weight of communism along with our rights to free speech. Our e-Safety Commissioner is an ex American Julie Inman grant. When you have time check her out.
Merry Christmas everyone love reading these pages every morning.
I feel sorry for you, I visited Australia in the late 1990’s, a wonderful place and wonderful people. Eu and other countries are in ways equal to China’s ruling the people, but the EU keeps repeating, democracy, democracy, democracy while the bring out the hang man’s noose. At least China admits who they are.
I must be missing something here.
Count your northern neighbor as one.
Differing approaches to free speech do not preclude alliance status. That’s because diplomatic relationships are shaped by a broad range of strategic, historical, and geopolitical factors beyond any single civil liberty.
Countries who are allies and their freedom of speech meters
https://www.weforum.org/stories/2016/11/freedom-of-speech-country-comparison/
What a brilliant punishment! Hilarious!
They all claim the US is such a bad and hateful place. But when they are denied access to us, well Sundance’s picture above says it all.
1930’s Hitler Nazi Govt ain’t got nothing on these EU clowns tellin’ him, “here, hold our beer”. Their decline as free nations is rapidly approaching the too stupid to recover point.
Probably because they actually live here trying to escape the hell they brought upon their citizens.
Good! Those dummies need to be reminded of their place on the food chain.
Cultural Marxism must be resisted in the most vigorous way possible. Kudos to Secretary Rubio for following through on this.
“Freedom of expression is a fundamental right in Europe and a shared core value with the United States across the democratic world.”
Yet they will throw you in prison if they don’t like a meme. Liars. Grifters. Excrement in a suit. Narcissist psychopaths. They steal our oxygen on a daily basis. Really hard to forgive their level of cognitive dissonance.
Merry Christmas Eve Treepers.
Merry Christmas to you, too!
💥Striking back against the Evil Empire! 💥
And… don’t let the door hit ya where the Good Lord (who celebrates His birthday 🎂 🥳 🙏tomorrow) split ya! 😁
How about all of the EU who went along with censorship ?
It’s a good start.
PDJT friend Victor in Hungary said No, as did Slovakia and I think Poland as well. Suck eggs old EU. They are forming a new, more tolerant EU that will still be around as you fade away into the dustbins of history. Has been coming to an end slowly at first, but now very quickly for those that watch and eat popcorn.
Go! Go! Go! with the Rational Guard.
It will be war before too long. The bossy just can’t help themselves.
Good job President Trump and Rubio.
We need to ban a whole lot more. And offer freedom to their free speech prisoners.
Rubio knocking it out of the park again. Trumps best pick
If only they would have put Starmer and that kretin PM from Australia on the same list.
And Macron.
As much as I like Rubio for President or VP, he needs to stay where he is! We’ve seen too many failures and he is the best SOS we’ve ever had!
Some people aren’t going to like hearing this, but this all started when we went along with the idea of ‘hate crimes’ and ‘hate speech’. We opened the door, and now we’re trying to put the cat back in the bag. No one who expresses an unpopular opinion that advocates no violence against anyone else should be subject to legal action or imprisoned because someone else’s feelings are hurt or because the other party doesn’t feel like taking the time to assemble facts to counter their argument and debate them in the public arena.
You are absolutely right. Totalitarianism creeps in by inches. Resist any idea of hate crimes. Physical violence is a crime, absolutely, but hurting a karen’s feelings is beside the point.
It’s a crime to assume gender but perfectly acceptable to assume and criminalize emotions because you don’t respect different opinions? These people are loony.
Inbreeding has finally caught up with the hierarchy, and with the middle eastern branch of their own inbreeding the clown show is only bound to get even funnier.
Hate crimes are thought crimes !
The problem, of course, is what constitutes violence and who decides.
The enemies of freedom set a trap and we all fell in. What was the trap?
“Words themselves are violence.”
Once we let them say that some speech is off limits, they QUICKLY expanded the definition to include ANY speech that doesn’t meet strict ideological standards of conformance.
Having dinner at a beach getaway with the family back in 2020.
My kids, nieces and their dates brought up the ” speech is violence ” bs.
I protested immediately and explained why what they had been taught was incorrect.
Every single one of them had been taught ( indoctrinated) on this point!
Amazing
So is America like the pot calling the kettle black?
That’s racist!
That was part of the Plan.
You say, “we opened the door.” Who is we? We didn’t open the door, the communists opened the door, both here and in Europe. I objected, along with many others. I did not then, and do not now, recognize “hate speech” nor “hate crimes.” If the Euro-commies want to pretend hate speech and hate crimes are legitimate, they can pretend in their own little fantasy worlds. But we never consented to these illegitimate characterizations, don’t recognize them, and will never recognize them.
We didn’t go along with it in UK. These moronic laws were imposed upon us by the kakistocracy in Westminster and the multiplying ‘NGO’ grifters. Now we have the police and judiciary acting like the Stasi to punish debate and dissent not blessed by the despotic, totalising State.
“Hate crimes” are always political crimes. They never apply uniformly. They protect favored groups and punish disfavored groups. They protect and punish regardless of whether any “crimes” are ever committed because they chill behavior.
Goody for you. Secretary Rubio’s announcements have nothing to do with “Europe’s” independence, nor its freedom . . .
. . . Whatever of either it still has left!
You might well take these pronouncements to mean that your cross-ocean ally will not yield the freedoms that you have apparently abandoned. Perhaps you might take a lesson in this . . .?
Take lessons from one of their former colonies they still have a major grudge against? TSK TSK, not in their soon to be shortened lifetime, didn’t happen in WWI or WWII or going back further to War of 1812, they cannot admit or accept defeat, and cannot tolerate what the USA and it’s Constitution has given to the free world.
Add Macron to the list. If his wife can slap some sense into him maybe we can give her a pass this time around.
Wife?
Her?
Well, if and when the Macrons actually take Candace to court for libel, she can demand discovery via cheek swab to determine the truth of the matter.
But thus far there hasn’t been much forward movement on their part, so….
Indeed, let’s pretend Candace is right for once and call out macrons wife for who she really is: his father.
Do you have any idea how abjectly stupid that is to believe? Just look at her bone structure alone – there’s no male possible.
Good start!
“EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA)”
DSA – Democrat Socialist of America
DSA – Democrat Socialist Abroad (I made this one up)
They are all made of the same cloth.
I cal them the ” D**k Suckers of America”
Amen to this. May the list expand.
I’m beginning to believe there is a greater chance the US & Russia will be at war against England, France and Germany before the US is ever at war against Russia.
The EU really needs to be broken up and the US pulls out of NATO then maybe the citizens of these European countries will get their freedoms & liberties back.
Then they can focus back on restoring their heritage and cultures.
Agreed.
It sounds crazy but Russia really does share our values much more than Europe at this point.
Together we can crush the tyrants.
Since the collapse of the USSR I believe this has always been the case. When the Cold War ended so should have NATO. Russia and the US should be on good terms, friendly terms, if not allies. The enemy is China. (And now I have to include Islam.)
They should be our largest trading partners worldwide.
They could be, with Europe going down the drain, and that big tunnel project up north, in the future.
Both China and Islamic countries impose super-heavy censorship. I wonder if we intend to also put them on notice?
But then they don’t pretend to be democratic.
Putin believes in free speech about as much as the Iranian Mullahs do.
So you think Russia has free speech?
Nothing but a Fairytale.. Russia is even worse than the UK, France and Germany.
“Russia’s 1993 Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and prohibits censorship under Article 29. However, in practice, these rights are severely restricted through broad and ambiguous laws. While the constitution promises free expression, the government uses legal frameworks to suppress dissent, particularly criticism of state institutions or actions like the war in Ukraine. The gap between law and practice is stark: constitutional protections are routinely undermined by politically motivated prosecutions, bureaucratic pressure, and selective enforcement of legislation targeting “extremism” or “foreign influence.”
The Russian government dominates the national media landscape, controlling most television networks, radio stations, print outlets, and the media advertising market—either directly or through state-owned enterprises and loyal oligarchs. As a result, state-aligned narratives dominate mainstream media, especially on issues related to national security, politics, and foreign policy.
Independent media face immense challenges, including funding restrictions, legal harassment, and forced closures. Many independent outlets have moved operations abroad or operate online under constant threat of being labeled “foreign agents” or “undesirable organizations.””
Key legal tools used to restrict speech include:
These laws create a climate of fear and self-censorship, where journalists and citizens avoid discussing sensitive topics.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Straight off of Wikipedia ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Try harder.
0.o
Anyone who thinks Russia, of all places, has free speech is living light years away from reality.
Russia remains one of the most dangerous countries in Europe for reporters, with numerous killings, assaults, and unresolved cases such as the 2006 murder of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya.
Do you have links to document this?
You think Russians are censored? We aren’t free to criticise the war in Ukraine, the Islamic invasion of illiterates and the Govt bankrupting us to keep the money laundering, war mongering, anti-Russia propaganda going! Punitive gaol terms await.
Citizens of EU countries will not GET their freedoms back. They have to take them back.
How is what these EU thugs are going any different what what the communist Chinese government does to control what is said and read (accessed) over there? Australia is also horrific in this area, and the dems lust for the same power/control over here. It’s amazing how quickly things you could never imagine happening are taking place.
Australia seems to excel at censorship and it will gallop to the Finish Line to prove it.
The short list.
Long list forthcoming.
Merry Christmas, EU “Elite,” and a very Happy New Year will be forthcoming.
Brussels will respond “swiftly and decisively”?
Seriously?
Send us a strongly worded letter. But you can’t come here.
And if you do, we will throw you in jail until your ride comes to get you.
I smell the odor of Brussels sprouts (digested, of course)
It is about time. Much more of this please, Mr. Secretary of State.
We need to kick this shit back across the pond, to the self-appointed Euro-Overlords, who think that just because they can buy American politicians, they bought the rest of us.
Insert middle finger Mickey, here!!!!
In direct and deliberate violation of the Digital Services Act…
Merry Christmas!
Well done, Marco.
Lil Marco dun growed up, seems to me he is liking PDJT MAGA tutelage and is gaining his importance in the MAGA hierarchy.
“…after President Donald Trump’s administration took its latest swipe at long-standing allies across the Atlantic.”
Yeah, it’s about time, and believe us when we tell you it won’t be our last swipe at you moronic tyrants. We’re sick of your autocratic wokeness BS, your geopolitical foolishness, your holier-than-thou attitudes, your completely undefined hate speech codes and misinformation standards, and your unwillingness to get along with America.
As far as we’re concerned, you are our enemies now, and you can simply go suck eggs. I dare say you need us a whole hellofaalot more than we need your sorry a**es. Please continue destroying from within your civilization.
Idiots.
Trump’s response to Belgium’s strongly worded warning that he could not have Greenland, “here, hold my Diet Coke, let’s see what happens”.
Chronicles Magazine
“Americans Should Reject the British Precedent on Free Speech”
The Online Safety Act did not go as planned.
https://chroniclesmagazine.org/web/americans-should-reject-the-british-precedent-on-free-speech/
The perfumed aristocrats at their very best……
They should include the rank and file “I was just following orders” crowd on the longer list. And their superiors who gave the orders.
I really like this Rubio.
The EU is making Russia look like amateurs when it comes to destroying peoples human rights. The people of the EU would be better off living in Russia. The EU attack against free speech is to protect the Muslims.
Exactly. Why would Russia want to invade Western Europe? The Europeans are doing a great job self-destructing. Russia just needs to sit back and watch the collapse.
They need to build a wall to keep the EU weinies from relocating .
The Euro centric US elites have to be apocalyptic over this
A ~6:O0 video listing psychological warfare
waged on people.
🫵🏼
“Brussels said Wednesday it will “respond swiftly and decisively” against the “unjustified measures.” ”
This statement hurt my feelings.
Consequently, it is time for “Miss Brussels” to be imprisoned. Swiftly.
I can’t WAIT for Trump v2 year 2…..
NO MERCY!
AND STAY OUT YOU NASTY LIL GLOBALISTS.
The Paris Statement of 2017
The True Europe
A Europe We Can Believe In
Among the Conservatives who created this affirmation of European Christian civilization was Sir Roger Scruton.
This has 36 short paragraphs and is available in 25 languages.
http://www.thetrueeurope.eu
Mr.Sundance,
I want to thank you very much for explaining everything that is going on. We have learned so much from your knowledge and I want to thank you very much for helping us understand what is really going on. God bless you and have a Merry Christmas.
Uh oh.
Sounds like the European Commission has a bad case of the sads . . . .
LOL
0.o
Collectively all need a Midol.
So Orwellian: HateAid, DigitalHate, 2Late2Hate, Hate.com et al. Don’t these hypocritical clowns hate conservatives?
With friends like them . . .
Russia and Iran are both authoritarian states with heavily restricted freedom of speech, but Russia marginally allows more public discourse than Iran, particularly in non-political or apolitical spheres. While both governments suppress dissent, censor media, and punish criticism of leadership or state policies, Russia has a larger independent (though shrinking) cultural and online space, whereas Iran enforces stricter religious and ideological controls. However, the difference is narrow, and in practice, both rank near the bottom globally for free expression.
So Putin edges out the Mullahs for free speech. Let us nominate him for a Free Speech Award!
The Russians won’t allow the globalist colour revolutions, drag shows and LBGTfmgxyz to corrupt their children so they must be only slightly less evil than the jihardis in Iran!
Two years ago I would have never guessed that seeing Marco Rubio’s name in a headline would fill me with expectant anticipation to read what he’s said or done now!
I’d love to know if he secretly held these values all along and was silently trapped by the rules of the SSCI, or if he became a convert to Trump’s MAGA vision.
I like this. It’s about time too.
Rubio Drops Hammer: Britain’s Secret Plot to Outlast Trump
Susan Kokinda discusses Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent decision to ban five British and European agents attempting to interfere in US elections and silence Americans. Kokinda delves into the broader implications of this move, focusing on how the British Empire’s influence is being challenged by Donald Trump’s policies. She highlights the strategic maneuvers by British establishment figures, notably Mike Pence’s alignment with European policies, and outlines Trump’s economic strategies to bolster the American working class and reduce European influence. Kokinda emphasizes the importance of supporting Trump’s initiatives to ensure sustainable economic growth and political sovereignty for the US while promoting Promethean Action’s role in this movement.
Judas Pence, Act Two.
“[…] In Brussels, Paris and Berlin, senior officials condemned the U.S. bans, and defended Europe’s right to legislate on how foreign companies operate locally.
A European Commission spokesperson said it “strongly condemns the U.S. decision”, adding: “Freedom of expression is a fundamental right in Europe and a shared core value with the United States across the democratic world.”
Just looking at how that propaganda was written is telling.
First it reports that “senior officials” condemned the ban and defended “Europe’s” right to legislate how foreign companies operate locally. So who are those “officials” and who, exactly, believes they have the right to speak for all of Europe? Are they speaking for the EU? Is it another “anonymous” very important nobody speaking? Reuters makin’ stuff up?
Next sentence — very next sentence — they say a “European Commission spokesperson” condemns the decision and says that “Freedom of expression is a fundamental right in Europe and a shared core value with the U.S. and around the “democratic” world. Last time I checked the “world” is not held in a democracy, but they continue to push those words hoping to prime-the-pump for the day they’ll make it their one world government.
Interesting that the first sentence says what they want to do, and the sentences that follow speak about how magnanimus “they” are with the “fundamental right” of expression. The two do not mix.
So which is it, Euro weanies? You either give your people the right of “expression” or you “legislate” how those same people can be systematically silenced by what you tell companies they are allowed to do to stop that expression.
So what? We want justice in the USA. Still waiting. Throw us a bone. There is much low hanging fruit.
Hallelujah!
Great job you are doing, Secretary Rubio!
In the early 90’s I went to a lecture by an elderly fellow who was promoting his book which was an engineering time and motion study of the oven sizes in Germany which were said to have killed 6 million Jews. His thesis was that although people were killed, it was impossible for the number to have been 6 million. He travelled the world promoting his book to small groups, but when he got to Germany he was arrested and sent to jail for a number of years.
Look no further for where this started.
EU leadership condemns visa bans on tyrants who deny people their freedom of speech, a tyranny they wholly aligned with and supported, because well… free speech. Their objection has a name and that name is hypocrisy.