(Photo: Reuters)

The US State Department said the individuals targeted were involved in censoring content on US social media platforms, and announced visa restrictions on nationals from countries including France, Germany and Britain.

Among those now barred from entering the United States is former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, whom US Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers described on X as a “mastermind” of the EU’s Digital Services Act.

In response, the European Union warned it would respond “swiftly and decisively” if necessary to defend its regulatory autonomy, which it described as a fundamental European right and a shared core value with the United States.

A European Commission spokesperson said the EU retained the sovereign right to regulate economic activity in line with its democratic values and international commitments, adding that the Commission had requested clarification from US authorities and remained engaged.

“These measures amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a post on X.