US Bans European Activists in Free Speech Clash

The United States has banned five European citizens from entering the country. Officials accuse them of leading campaigns to censor Americans online. The U.S. State Department announced the visa restrictions on Tuesday. It said the Europeans pressured American technology companies to suppress U.S. viewpoints. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called them "radical" activists who lead "weaponised" non-governmental organisations. This action uses a new visa policy created in May. The policy allows the U.S. to deny entry to foreigners believed to be responsible for censoring protected speech in America. “For far too long, U.S. tech companies have faced pressure from foreign actors to silence American voices,” a State Department spokesperson said. The names of the five individuals and their home countries were not released. The move highlights growing U.S. government efforts to confront what it sees as foreign interference in domestic online discourse.