![The Department of State logo is seen in the Department of State, Washington D.C., United States on December 8, 2025. [Celal Güneş - Anadolu Agency]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AA-20251208-39928150-39928134-US_HOSTS_AUSTRALIAN_DEFENSE_FOREIGN_MINISTERS_FOR_22_MEETING.jpg)
At present, there is a pot-calling-the-kettle-black approach being taken by the European Union and the United States regarding the imposition of sanctions upon individuals deemed hostile to free speech. On 23 December, the US State Department announced that it would bar five European citizens accused of spearheading efforts to pressure US tech giants to censor or suppress American opinions. This came after the European Union’s own tilt to sanctioning individuals accused of spreading Russian misinformation or disinformation, particularly about the Ukraine War. Those caught in the State Department vice are former EU Commissioner for the internal market Thierry Breton, a key figure behind the Digital Services Act (DSA), Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg of the German legal aid organisation […]
