The United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday announced a new visa restriction policy targeting foreign officials who he says are complicit in censoring what Americans say online.
“For too long, Americans have been fined, harassed, and even charged by foreign authorities for exercising their free speech rights,” Rubio wrote on X.
“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.”
President Donald Trump and his aides have ramped up pressure on global allies — particularly in Europe — over what the administration describes as an increasing hostility toward free speech.
One of the first major foreign policy moves of the second Trump administration was Vice President JD Vance’s speech to the Munich Security Conference in February, where he roasted continental leaders over alleged censorship.
Rubio on Wednesday criticized efforts by foreign governments to allegedly pressure U.S. tech companies into embracing global content moderation rules that would affect social media users in the U.S.
“It is unacceptable for foreign officials to issue or threaten arrest warrants on U.S. citizens or U.S. residents for social media posts on American platforms while physically present on U.S. soil,” Rubio said in a broader statement announcing the policy.
“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 also called out European allies directly, saying “whether in Latin America, Europe, or elsewhere, the days of passive treatment for those who work to undermine the rights of Americans are over” in another X post.
At the same time, the Trump administration — and Rubio’s State Department — has targeted foreign students in the United States over their speech, particularly pro-Palestinian activists, amid what the administration describes as a crackdown on antisemitism on college campuses.
A former State Department official familiar with visa restrictions, granted anonymity to discuss the announcement candidly, said that because the provision cited by Rubio — about adverse foreign policy consequences — is so broad, his announcement likely passes legal muster.
“I guess the question is what does this administration consider to be an adverse foreign policy consequence?” the former official said. “If there’s an American Nazi posting stuff in France and France is like, banning pro-Nazi stuff, is Rubio going to say that the owners of that French platform doing content moderation are barred from entry to the United States?”
The move follows a wave of conservative criticism aimed at European tech regulations from voices as varied as House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Vance and tech figures like Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Meta.
Jordan’s committee praised Rubio’s move in a post on X on Wednesday.
“Excellent news!” the Judiciary Committee wrote. “We’ve been exposing foreign censorship efforts over the past year. Now, those who want to silence your speech are being held accountable.”
Jordan met several weeks ago with the European Commission’s tech sovereignty chief Henna Virkkunen during a visit to Washington, along with the heads of major U.S. tech companies amid withering GOP criticism of laws like Europe’s Digital Markets Act.
European leaders have responded to Jordan and other conservatives that they do not target U.S. tech companies.
Google declined comment on Rubio’s announcement, while Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Recent presidential administrations have increased the use of visa bans, aiming them at foreign government officials or other figures, sometimes scores at a time.
Typically, the bans are instituted on grounds that the people are engaged in corrupt activities or human rights abuses. The bans are often extended to a perpetrator’s spouse and children, upending everything from college enrollment plans to shopping trips.
The U.S. often doesn’t name who specifically is barred from American soil. In part that’s because many visa records are confidential.
But not mentioning names also breeds paranoia among people overseas who wonder if they are targeted and who may be more inclined to change their behavior to maintain access to the U.S., State Department officials have previously told POLITICO.
