‘For too long, Americans have been fined, harassed, and even charged by foreign authorities for exercising their free speech rights. Today, I am announcing a new visa restriction policy that will apply to foreign officials and persons who are complicit in censoring Americans, Rubio said.
The United States has announced a new visa restriction policy aimed at foreign officials who attempt to censor Americans for social media activity conducted on US-based platforms.
The move was confirmed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who described it as a response to what he called “unacceptable” efforts by foreign governments to silence US citizens or residents through legal or punitive threats.
Rubio stated that visa bans will be imposed on foreign nationals who, in their official capacity, demand content takedowns or enforce censorship policies on American tech platforms.
“It is unacceptable for foreign officials to issue or threaten arrest warrants on US citizens or residents for social media posts made while physically present in the United States,” Rubio said.
“It is similarly unacceptable to pressure American tech firms to implement global moderation policies that extend beyond the authority of those foreign officials.”
‘For too long, Americans have been fined, harassed, and even charged by foreign authorities for exercising their free speech rights. Today, I am announcing a new visa restriction policy that will apply to foreign officials and persons who are complicit in censoring Americans. Free speech is essential to the American way of life – a birthright over which foreign governments have no authority,” he wrote.
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Though no specific countries or individuals were named, Rubio claimed that some foreign actors have engaged in “flagrant censorship actions” without jurisdiction over American platforms or users.
This new policy comes as several countries in Europe, Asia, and South America have initiated legal proceedings, issued takedown notices, or levied fines against US tech companies for violating local content laws. While acknowledging these actions, the US stance is that protected speech originating from within the United States cannot be subject to foreign censorship demands.
Major platforms affected by such cross-border tensions include X (owned by Elon Musk), Facebook and Instagram (owned by Meta), YouTube (owned by Google), Truth Social (owned by Trump Media), and BlueSky (founded by Jack Dorsey).
