US Denies Visas to Foreign Officials Censoring Americans Online

The U.S. government, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has announced a new policy to deny visas to foreign officials involved in censoring American citizens or media companies, particularly targeting those who impose content moderation policies on U.S.-based social media platforms. This policy signals an escalation in tensions with allies such as European countries and the United Kingdom, whose digital regulations like the EU's Digital Services Act and Britain's Online Safety Act are criticized by the U.S. as overreaching and suppressive of free speech. Rubio condemned foreign officials who threaten arrest or impose penalties on Americans for their social media posts, emphasizing that such actions are unacceptable and violate U.S. sovereignty. The visa restrictions may affect officials from regulatory bodies like the UK's Ofcom and have taken some foreign diplomats by surprise. This move reflects the Trump administration's continued opposition to foreign digital regulations that impose fines or content removal mandates on American tech companies, framing it as a defense of protected expression and free speech rights of Americans online. While specific individuals targeted have not been named, the U.S. has indicated interest in officials like Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, known for conflicts over online speech moderation.