The United States has barred five Europeans from entering the country, accusing them of trying to pressure American technology companies to censor or suppress viewpoints from the US. European leaders, however, insist their digital regulations are meant to protect users and do not target the United States.

The US State Department announced on Tuesday that the five Europeans had been barred for allegedly leading efforts to influence US tech firms into restricting American opinions online. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the individuals as “radical” activists, who “weaponised” non-governmental organisations. They were barred under a new visa policy announced in May, which restricts entry for foreigners believed responsible for the censorship of protected speech in the US.

“For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organised efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose,” Rubio wrote on X. “The Trump Administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”

The five individuals were identified by Sarah Rogers, the US under-secretary of state for public diplomacy, in a series of social media posts. They include leaders of organisations that work on digital hate issues and a former European Union commissioner who clashed with Elon Musk over broadcasting an online interview with Donald Trump.

Rubio said that these individuals were involved in foreign government-led campaigns to censor Americans and US companies, which could lead to “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences” for the United States. The visa ban is part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration to curb foreign influence on online speech, using immigration law rather than tech regulations or sanctions.

The five Europeans named are Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate; Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, leaders of German organisation HateAid; Clare Melford, head of the Global Disinformation Index; and Thierry Breton, a former EU Commissioner responsible for digital affairs.

Rogers referred to Breton, a French business executive and former finance minister, as the “mastermind” behind the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which sets strict rules to keep internet users safe online. The act requires harmful or illegal content, such as hate speech, to be flagged. She also highlighted Breton’s warning to Musk about potential “amplification of harmful content” if he broadcast his live-stream interview with Trump in August 2024.

Breton responded on X, noting that all 27 EU members voted for the Digital Services Act in 2022. He wrote, “To our American friends: Censorship isn’t where you think it is.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot condemned the visa restrictions on Breton and the other four individuals. He said on X that the DSA was created to ensure “what is illegal offline is also illegal online” and that it “has absolutely no extraterritorial reach and in no way concerns the United States.”

Most Europeans are part of the Visa Waiver Program, meaning they do not usually need a visa to visit the US. However, they must complete an online application before arrival, which is monitored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). A US official, speaking anonymously, said that it is possible that five individuals would be flagged under this system.

This visa restriction is part of broader US policies introduced this year. Other bans target visitors from certain African and Middle Eastern countries, as well as the Palestinian Authority. Some applicants may also be required to post a financial bond when applying for a US visa.