US President Donald Trump's administration imposed visa bans on Tuesday on five European citizens, including French former EU commissioner Thierry Breton, who it accuses of working to censor freedom of speech or unfairly target US tech giants with overly burdensome regulation.
A European Commission spokesperson said it "strongly condemns the US decision," adding: "Freedom of expression is a fundamental right in Europe and a shared core value with the United States across the democratic world."
The visa bans are likely to exacerbate growing divergences between Washington and some European capitals over issues including free speech, defense, immigration, far-right politics, trade and the Russia-Ukraine war.
They come just weeks after a US National Security Strategy document warned Europe faced "civilizational erasure" and must change course if it is to remain a reliable US ally.
Breton was one of the architects of the EU's Digital Services Act, a landmark piece of legislation aimed at making the internet safer that has irritated US officials.
