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Tech regulation: Europe outraged by US sanctions

by AI | 25.Dec 2025 | Europe in brief AI

The EU and several European capitals denounce the sanctions imposed by Washington against former commissioner Thierry Breton and four other European figures in the context of the standoff over the regulation of digital services.

Thierry Breton, then European Commissioner for the Internal Market, speaks during a press conference in San Francisco, California, on June 22, 2023. (Photo: Josh Edelson / AFP)

Brussels – The European Commission on Wednesday demanded “clarifications” and firmly condemned the “unjustified” sanctions imposed by the Trump administration on a former commissioner, the Frenchman Thierry Breton, and four other European figures committed to strict tech regulation and the fight against disinformation.

All five are banned from entering the United States and accused of “censorship” to the detriment of American interests by the State Department.

Measures that are “unacceptable” for Berlin, and which “amount to intimidation and coercion against European digital sovereignty,” according to French President Emmanuel Macron.

It is “fundamental for democracy in Europe” to protect a “safe digital space,” Madrid reacted, expressing its “solidarity” with Thierry Breton.

In Brussels, the Commission said it had “requested clarifications from the American authorities.” “If necessary, we will respond quickly and decisively to defend our regulatory autonomy against unjustified measures,” it protested in a statement. (24 December 2025)