Ex-EU Commissioner Breton Accuses US Of Witch-hunt After Visa Ban

Former European Union Commissioner Thierry Breton has lashed out at the United States over new visa restrictions imposed on him and several others, describing the move as a “witch-hunt.”

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Breton wrote, “Is McCarthy’s witch-hunt back?,” a reference to the 1950s anti-communist crusades in the US led by Senator Joseph McCarthy.

The remark followed an announcement by the US State Department earlier same Tuesday that Breton and four other individuals would be denied entry visas to the United States. Washington accused the group of attempting to “coerce” American social media platforms into censoring viewpoints they oppose.

Breton, who served as the EU’s Commissioner for the Internal Market from 2019 to 2024, played a key role in shaping the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA), a law that sets strict rules for how major online platforms handle user content, misinformation, and harmful material.

In its statement, the State Department described Breton as the “mastermind” behind the DSA, calling it an effort that has “significantly pressured US technology companies” to alter their content policies under threat of heavy fines.