UK Activists Denied US Visas Amid Free Speech Controversy

Thu Dec 25 2025 05:25:13 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Two British social media campaigners, alongside others from Europe, have been denied visas to the US, sparking debates over censorship and freedom of expression.

Imran Ahmed and Clare Melford, notable figures in the fight against online hate speech, are among five individuals banned from entering the United States. The US State Department claimed their activities aimed at pressuring tech platforms to censor speech. The move has drawn criticism from European leaders who view it as an attack on free expression. UK officials support the right to visa regulations while promoting free speech. The situation highlights increasing tensions between the US and Europe over digital governance and censorship policies.

Two British campaigners are among five people denied US visas after the State Department accused them of seeking to 'coerce' American tech platforms into suppressing free speech.

Imran Ahmed, an ex-Labour adviser who now heads the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), and Clare Melford, CEO of the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), were labelled 'radical activists' by the Trump administration and banned from entering the US.

A French ex-EU commissioner and two senior figures at a Germany-based anti-online hate group were also denied visas.

European leaders have condemned the measures, while the UK government said it is 'fully committed' to upholding free speech.

While every country has the right to set its own visa rules, the UK government supports the laws and institutions working to keep the internet free from harmful content. French President Emmanuel Macron described the travel ban as 'intimidation' aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty.

The US stated that the measures target those who have campaigned for restrictions on American tech firms, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned their actions as part of a 'global censorship-industrial complex.'

Ahmed's CCDH advocates for government action against hate speech and links to senior Labour figures, while Melford's GDI monitors disinformation.

Undersecretary of State Sarah B Rogers accused the GDI of using taxpayer money to promote censorship of American speech. This sparked a backlash from the GDI, which argued that the visa sanctions represent an 'authoritarian attack' on free speech.

The ban has also impacted figures like Thierry Breton, the former top tech regulator at the European Commission, who has been critical of American censorship practices.

Breton and others affected have characterized the ban as a political move against those advocating for an open and free internet.

The controversy illustrates the mounting friction over how digital platforms are governed globally, especially during a time when free expression and censorship remain hot-button issues.