On 23 December, the US State Department sanctioned four civil society leaders, Imran Ahmed, Chief Executive of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate; Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, leaders of Hateaid, Clare Melford, CEO of The Global Disinformation Index, as well as former EU Commissioner and French government minister Thierry Breton, barring their entry to the United States.
These civil society leaders are working to ensure the digital world is safe for everyone. You would not get on a plane with an airline that refused safety checks. Just as we expect safety standards for aviation, automotive manufacturing, and public water systems, digital platforms serving hundreds of millions of Europeans must operate transparently and safely.
The EU Digital Services Act (DSA), the officials who enforce it, as well as the nonprofit organisations that work on information integrity, ensure online safety. They protect freedom of speech and expression, making sure hundreds of millions of Europeans can use social media and online platforms and express themselves – speech is not limited, it is protected from manipulation.
All those who defend democracy and freedom need to stand together, and we the undersigned stand with those wrongfully sanctioned here.
The US government must immediately rescind its actions barring entry of those working to protect information integrity and freedom of speech. It must stop falsely and misleadingly using the term ‘censorship’, where no censorship is taking place.
Very Large Online Platforms under the Digital Services Act should publicly reaffirm their commitment to full DSA implementation and compliance with the Code of Conduct on Disinformation, including transparent collaboration with independent researchers and civil society organisations monitoring platform practices.
The EU and its Member States must stand firm and remain undeterred from defending and enforcing EU laws. The aim of defending fundamental rights and freedoms online, including free expression, lays at the heart of the Digital Services Act. Defending these values and EU sovereignty must be non-negotiable.
The rules the EU has adopted are indispensable for Europeans’ sovereignty, independence, competitiveness, and liberty, as well as protecting freedom of speech. Any further EU legislation on digital technologies must have these principles and values at its core.
EU Member States and the United Kingdom should immediately call on the United States to reverse these travel restrictions, which target individuals working within established legal frameworks to protect democratic values. The EU institutions and national governments must actively support and defend anyone who faces threats, harassment, or defamation for upholding these principles and Europe’s sovereignty in the digital sphere.
Signatories:
AlgorithmWatch
AlgorithmWatch CH
American Sunlight Project
hAlliance4Europe
ARTICLE 19
Defend Democracy
Data For Good France
Dezentrum
Fundación Maldita.es
The Khalifa Ihler Institute
Post-X Society
People vs Big Tech
New School of the Anthropocene
Vigilia
Sustainable AI Futures
Campact e.V.
CH++
The Firewall
Homo Digitalis
ctrl+alt+reclaim
CEE Digital Democracy Watch
D64 – Center for Digital Progress
Hermes Center
Digital Intimacy Coalition
Science Feedback
Digitale Gesellschaft (Schweiz)
Waag Futurelab
Stop Funding Hate / Stop Funding Heat
Transparency International EU
Alexandra Geese, Member of the European Parliament
Intersections
Politiscope
Public Circle Research & Consulting
Centre for Democracy & Technology Europe
WHAT TO FIX
Sergey Lagodinsky, Member of the European Parliament
Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties)