US State Department imposes entry ban on managing directors of HateAid
On 23 December 2025, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that sanctions had been imposed on Josephine Ballon, Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, and their organisation HateAid, among others. Both had previously advocated for user rights and the implementation of EU digital laws such as the Digital Services Act through their non-profit organisation HateAid. The latter obliges platforms in Europe to remove illegal content, among other things. The US administration, however, refers to this as censorship.
Berlin, December 24th 2025
Shortly before Christmas Eve, the US State Department announced the imposition of entry bans on five individuals. In addition to the managing directors of HateAid, those affected include former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, CCDH CEO Imran Ahmed and Global Disinformation Index CEO Clare Melford. They have been classified as ‘radical activists’ and ‘weaponized organizations.’ They and potentially their family members are therefore not permitted to enter the US. Shortly beforehand, a valid ESTA visa held by Josephine Ballon was revoked by email.
Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon comment:
“We will not be intimidated by a government that uses accusations of censorship to silence those who stand up for human rights and freedom of expression. Despite the enormous burdens and restrictions that the US government’s measures place on us and our families, we will continue our work with all our strength – now more than ever.”
HateAid considers this measure to be an act of repression by an administration that is increasingly disregarding the rule of law and attempting to silence its critics with all its might, according to the two managing directors. It is part of an intimidation tactic against anyone in Europe who advocates for the enforcement of applicable laws on social networks.
The HateAid managing directors comment:
“We demand a clear signal from the German government and the European Commission that this is unacceptable. Otherwise, no civil society organisation, no politician, no researcher, and certainly no individual will dare to denounce abuses by US tech companies in the future And European laws will be worth no more than the paper they are written on.”
The sanctions mark a new level of escalation in this context, according to the co-directors. The US government is thus calling European sovereignty into question. It is doing everything in its power to prevent American corporations from having to comply with applicable European law (Digital Services Act). Representatives of the Trump administration have been trying for months to push back against the regulation of US tech companies through the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act in Europe. The influence of large tech companies such as Meta and X also plays a decisive role in this.
HateAid gGmbH
The non-profit organisation HateAid was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Berlin. It advocates for human rights in the digital space and is active at both the societal and political level in combating digital violence and its consequences. HateAid provides concrete support to victims of digital violence through counselling and legal cost funding. Its managing directors are Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon.
HateAid is the recipient of the 2023 Theodor Heuss Medal, the Rothenburg Award for Remembrance and Future, the Values Award for Democracy of the Werte-Stiftung, and the For..Net Award of the Technical University of Munich.
Press contact: presse@hateaid.org, Tel.: +49 (0) 30 25208837
