The US authorities have already implemented the entry ban imposed on the German advice center HateAid. The US administration informed her on Wednesday evening that the status of her ESTA entry permit, which was valid until April, had changed and entry was no longer possible, said HateAid managing director Josephine Ballon to the dpa news agency. Your co-managing director Anna-Lena von Hodenberg currently does not have a visa for the country USA.
HateAid is now checking whether the actions of the US authorities could have an impact on the organization’s payment transactions, said Ballon. You don’t have any bank accounts in the USA. However, it is unclear whether the US decision could be expanded and also result in the blocking of credit cards or online accounts held with US providers.
Entry bans are justified by censorship
The US government had imposed entry bans on Ballon, von Hodenberg and three other Europeans – on the grounds that US online platforms were allegedly being censored by these people.
HateAid offers psychological and legal support for people who are discriminated against, insulted, threatened or attacked online. In October, von Hodenberg was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for her work. At the time it was said that she had done pioneering work by founding HateAid in 2018.
Entry ban also for Thierry Breton
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote: “For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to force American platforms to punish American positions that they do not like.” They are prepared to expand the list if there is no course correction.
The entry ban also affects former French EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, who is considered one of the architects of the Digital Services Act (DSA). The legislative package is intended to prevent a legal vacuum from emerging on the Internet. It requires platforms to offer simple procedures for reporting illegal content, goods or services. They must also take measures to protect minors from gambling or pornography.
Lawsuit against the entry ban has already been filed
The US government also imposed sanctions on the founder of the British Global Disinformation Index (GDI), Clare Melford, and the founder of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), which operates in the US and Great Britain, Imran Ahmed. According to the organization, Ahmed lives in Washington and is threatened with deportation from the USA. Both campaign against hate and disinformation on the Internet. Ahmed is now suing Rubio and the entry ban.
