U.S. To Ban Foreign Nationals Who Censor Americans

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement on Wednesday, May 28th, that a new visa restriction policy would apply to foreign nationals responsible for censorship of protected expression in the U.S. The Secretary said it was unacceptable for foreign officials to issue or threaten arrest warrants for social media posts made on U.S. soil.

“It is similarly unacceptable for foreign officials to demand that American tech platforms adopt global content moderation policies or engage in censorship activity that reaches beyond their authority and into the United States,” Rubio said.

He added some foreign nationals have engaged in

flagrant censorship actions against U.S. tech companies and U.S. citizens and residents when they have no authority to do so.

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.…

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) May 28, 2025

U.S. social media companies like Facebook and Instagram parent Meta have said the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) amounts to censorship of their platforms. The Trump administration warned back in March that the DSA excessively restricts freedom of expression.