US denies visas to EU ex-commissioner, four others over tech rules

Last week the US government signalled that key European businesses could be targeted in response, listing Accenture, DHL, Mistral, Siemens and Spotify among others. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: The US State Department said Tuesday it would deny visas to a former EU commissioner and four others, accusing them of seeking to "coerce" American social media platforms into censoring viewpoints they oppose.

"These radical activists and weaponised NGOs have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states – in each case targeting American speakers and American companies," the department said in a statement announcing the sanctions.