Former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton Barred From US Over Alleged Social Media Censorship Says 'Censorship Isn't Where You Think It Is'

Thierry Breton, the former European Union commissioner behind the Digital Services Act, criticized the President Donald Trump administration after being barred from entering the U.S. over alleged censorship of American social media.

US Targets EU Digital Chief For Alleged Social Media Censorship

The U.S. imposed visa restrictions on Breton and four anti-disinformation campaigners, accusing them of pressuring platforms like Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) Google and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) to suppress American viewpoints, reported CNBC.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the individuals "have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetize, and suppress American viewpoints they oppose."

Breton Calls Visa Ban A Witch Hunt

On Tuesday, Breton wrote on X that "90% of the European Parliament — our democratically elected body — and all 27 Member States unanimously voted the DSA."

He added, "To our American friends: Censorship isn't where you think it is."

Is McCarthy's witch hunt back? 🧹

As a reminder: 90% of the European Parliament — our democratically elected body — and all 27 Member States unanimously voted the DSA 🇪🇺

To our American friends: "Censorship isn't where you think it is."

— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) December 23, 2025

Other affected individuals include Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, German anti-disinformation activists linked to the HateAid organization.

Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers described the bans as enforcing a "red line" against the extraterritorial censorship of Americans.

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Earlier, in August, USCIS was directed to scrutinize "anti-American" sentiments among green card and work permit applicants, treating certain affiliations or beliefs as grounds for denial, even when applicants met legal requirements.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors

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