The German counselling centre HateAid, which campaigns against hate speech online and provides support for victims, has been targeted by the administration of US President Donald Trump.
The two heads of the non-profit organisation, as well as three other Europeans, were banned from entering the US for alleged censorship of American online platforms, the US State Department announced on X.
In a statement, HateAid managing directors Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg spoke of an "act of repression".
"We are not surprised. It is an act of repression by a government that is increasingly disregarding the rule of law and trying to silence its critics with all its might," Ballon and von Hodenberg told German news agency DPA.
The US government is trying by all means to prevent US companies in Europe from having to comply with applicable law, thus "questioning European sovereignty", they added.
What is HateAid?
HateAid offers psychological and legal support for people who are discriminated against, insulted, threatened or attacked online.
On the HateAid website victims of hate speech and targeted online attacks can find resources for advice and legal support. In their online magazine, you can read about topics like protecting your privacy while using ChatGPT, how unsolicited 'dick pics' are a punishable offence and how to defend yourself from online doxxing, for example.
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In October, von Hodenberg was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for her work with the organisation. The award was granted in acknowledgement of her pioneering work to create the first nationwide counselling centre that people can turn to in cases of violence on the Internet.
Responding to the sanctions notice against them, the founder of HateAid said in a statement: "We will not be intimidated by a government that instrumentalises censorship accusations to silence those who stand up for human rights and freedom of expression."
Why is Trump sanctioning a non-profit that works against hate speech?
According to the Trump administration, the entry ban is directed against "radical activists" and non-governmental organisations that have promoted censorship measures.
Foreign Minister Marco Rubio wrote on X: "For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organised efforts to force American platforms to punish American viewpoints that do not suit them."
The HateAid managing directors contend that the US government is trying to prevent US companies in Europe from having to comply with applicable law. They added that these moves "call European sovereignty into question".
Rubio and other US officials have repeatedly criticised alleged internet censorship in Europe, especially in the past year. For example, Washington reacted harshly against an EU Commission decision to impose a fine of €120 million against social media platform X for lack of transparency.
Since the Trump administration took power in the US in January, social media sites like X and Facebook have severely reduced their moderation efforts, including the scrapping of fact-checking programmes.
Who else was sanctioned?
The US entry ban also affects former French EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, who is considered the architect of the Digital Services Act, which regulates online platforms in the EU.
The Digital Services Act, which was passed in February of 2024 by the European Parliament and all member states with a wide majority, aims to prevent a lawless space from emerging on the Internet. According to Rubio it was an "attack on all American tech platforms..."
Breton compared the sanctions against him and HateAid to a "witch hunt" similar to that seen in the US's McCarthy era.
On X, Breton wrote: "To our American friends: Censorship is not taking place where you think it is."
Is McCarthy’s witch hunt back? ?
— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) December 23, 2025
As a reminder: 90% of the European Parliament — our democratically elected body — and all 27 Member States unanimously voted the DSA ??
To our American friends: “Censorship isn’t where you think it is.”
The US government also imposed sanctions on the founder of the British Global Disinformation Index (GDI), Clare Melford, and on the founder of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), which operates in the US and the UK, Imran Ahmed.
These sanctions come as the latest in a series of escalations by the Trump administration against what it calls censorship.
In February US Vice President JD Vance shocked Europe's leaders with comments about "the threat from within" at the Munich Security Conference. Vance also voiced support for the far-right Alternative for Germany party and met with its co-leader Alice Weidel.
READ ALSO: Alternative for Germany members travel to the US on taxpayer money
At the beginning of December, the Trump administration again made clear that it sees itself opposed to European governments “trampling on democracy” in its new National Security Strategy. In reaction various German leaders voiced concern about the US's position, whereas Russia's Kremlin said it was "largely in agreement".
With reporting by DPA.
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