Federal government: US sanctions against HateAid unacceptable

Fight against hate online

Federal government: US sanctions against HateAid unacceptable

Donald Trump’s government is accusing “ideologues in Europe” of censorship and is issuing entry bans against groups that fight hate online. Berlin, Paris and Brussels react sharply.

The EU Commission and representatives of the federal government have rejected accusations of censorship by the US government and sharply criticized entry bans against the managing directors of the German advice center HateAid, which combats hate on the Internet, and other Europeans. “Washington will not decide which rules we want to live by in Germany and Europe in the digital space,” explained Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) in Berlin. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) called the entry bans unacceptable.

French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X: “These measures amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty.” The regulations of the Digital Services Act (DSA), which regulates online platforms in the EU, were made through a democratic process and should not be determined from outside Europe. The point is that what is illegal offline is also illegal online.

Ursula von der Leyen’s EU Commission threatened retaliatory measures. The authorities in Brussels announced that they strongly condemn the US decision and have requested clarifications. If necessary, they will respond quickly and decisively to defend the right to set their own rules. The EU Commission did not initially explain how exactly it could react to the travel bans.

The German Foreign Minister wrote on It was decided democratically by the European Union for the EU and does not have an extraterritorial effect, emphasized Wadephul. “We generally want to clarify other views with the USA in the transatlantic dialogue in order to strengthen our partnership.”

The US government justified the entry bans against the HateAid managing directors Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg as well as against three other Europeans with alleged censorship of US online platforms. In their initial reaction, Ballon and von Hodenberg spoke of an “act of repression.”

The entry ban also affects former French EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, who is considered one of the architects of the Digital Services Act. The legislative package and its practical application – in the case of Platform