Brussels, Dec 24 (EFE).– European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday defended freedom of expression as a cornerstone of European democracy, following a US decision to sanction five European citizens accused of pressuring social media platforms.
“Freedom of speech is the foundation of our strong and vibrant European democracy. We are proud of it. We will protect it,” von der Leyen wrote on social media platform X. “Because the EU Commission is the guardian of our values.”
President Donald Trump’s goverment has banned five European citizens from entering the United States, accusing them of pressuring social media platforms to censor American voices, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday.
Among those sanctioned is former European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton, a key architect of regulations aimed at curbing disinformation on platforms such as X, Meta, and TikTok.
Also included are British activist Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), an organization focused on combating online hate and disinformation, as well as Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon, directors of the German organization HateAid, who confirmed the measures themselves.
In a statement, the European Commission stressed that freedom of expression is “a fundamental right in Europe and a shared core value with the United States across the democratic world.”
It also recalled that the European Union is an open, rules-based market with the sovereign right to regulate economic activity in line with its democratic values and international commitments. EFE
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