U.S. denies visas to five Europeans including ex-EU tech regulator Breton
The United States has barred entry to five European figures who advocated strict tech regulation, including former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, citing censorship concerns.
December 24, 2025 - 02:24 PM ET • 2 min read
The United States has denied entry visas to five European individuals engaged in promoting stricter regulation of the technology sector, the State Department announced Tuesday. Among those sanctioned is Thierry Breton, a French former European Commissioner for the Internal Market who served from 2019 to 2024.
The State Department, led by Secretary Marco Rubio, justified the measures by stating that the actions of these individuals constitute a form of censorship harmful to American interests. In a statement, the department said it had "taken decisive action against five individuals who have led organized initiatives to coerce U.S. platforms to censor, demonetize, and suppress American opinions they dislike."
Rubio said on social media that "for too long, European ideologues have conducted coordinated actions to force American platforms to sanction American opinions to which they are opposed." He added that "the Trump administration will no longer tolerate these flagrant acts of extraterritorial censorship."
Four of the five sanctioned individuals represent European non-governmental organizations. According to the State Department, these representatives work with agents of foreign countries to "censor" American citizens and companies.
Breton, who was nominated to the European Commission by French President Emmanuel Macron, resigned from his position on September 16, 2024, announcing his departure in a letter posted on social media following disagreements with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
During his tenure as commissioner, Breton identified six companies designated as "gatekeepers" under European Union digital market rules. These companies, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and three others, five of which are American and one Chinese, were required to comply with new EU digital market regulations. Breton stated that none of these companies could claim to be "too big to comply" with the rules.
As commissioner, Breton worked alongside Margrethe Vestager to develop a regulatory framework intended to protect Europe from American technology companies. The Digital Services Act, which Breton championed, has been cited by the State Department as having damaged American interests.
The Trump administration has had Breton in its focus for some time, according to reports, specifically regarding his role in constructing the regulatory arsenal that formed the basis of European tech regulation.