Europe Fumes as US Bans 5 EU Figures Over "Censorship" Claims

• The US Trump administration banned five prominent European figures, including Thierry Breton, citing "censorship" of free speech and targeting American tech giants.
• European leaders, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, furiously condemned the move as "coercion and intimidation" and an attack on European digital sovereignty.
• The banned individuals include Imran Ahmed, Josephine Ballon, Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, Clare Melford, and former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton.
• Europe vowed to defend its regulatory autonomy, with Macron stating EU digital rules are not determined outside the continent.
• The US action targets the EU's Digital Services Act, while US officials accuse the figures of suppressing American viewpoints.

Why It Matters: US visa bans on EU figures spark European outrage, raising concerns over digital sovereignty and regulatory autonomy.