US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announces that US officials from countries that restrict social media will be barred from entering the country, a move that could be a response to the EU's Digital Services Act



US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on May 28, 2025 that the US will restrict visa issuance to foreign government officials who are deemed to have 'censored Americans' by blocking Americans' social media posts or regulating US social media. It is unclear what specific cases will be subject to this restriction, but it is believed that this measure is in response to the EU's request for stronger regulation of major US social media platforms.

Announcement of a Visa Restriction Policy Targeting Foreign Nationals Who Censor Americans - United States Department of State

https://www.state.gov/announcement-of-a-visa-restriction-policy-targeting-foreign-nationals-who-censor-americans/

US to ban foreign officials over 'flagrant censorship' on social media | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/us-visa-policy-targets-foreign-nationals-who-censor-americans-state-dept-2025-05-28/

US will ban foreign officials to punish countries for social media rules | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/news/675811/us-immigration-visas-censorship-content-moderation-europe-digital-services-act

'Today, I am announcing new visa restrictions that will apply to foreign nationals who are responsible for censoring protected speech in the United States,' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement on the 28th. 'We cannot accept that foreign officials can issue arrest warrants or threaten arrests of U.S. citizens or residents while they are in the United States for social media posts on U.S. platforms. We also cannot accept that foreign officials can require U.S. tech platforms to adopt global content moderation policies or exceed their authority to engage in censorship activities that extend into the United States.'



Rubio did not provide specific examples of the censorship that would be targeted by the new visa policy, but several media outlets have pointed out that it may be a countermeasure to the EU's Digital Services Act , which designates X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, YouTube, and other 'large online platforms' and calls for stricter measures against illegal content, including hate speech and child sexual abuse.

Vice President J.D. Vance said during a visit to Paris, France in February 2025 that the EU's 'authoritarian censorship' would harm the US technology industry. The Trump administration has frequently criticized the EU's regulation of US social media, including Brendan Carr, who was appointed chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) by President Trump, who criticized the EU's Digital Services Act in March forexcessively restricting freedom of expression.

US Vice President Vance warns Europe that 'excessive regulation of AI could destroy the industry' - GIGAZINE



At the time of writing, the front page of the State Department's website contained a link to an op-ed by Samuel Samson, a senior adviser in the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, in which he criticized the Digital Services Act as being 'used to silence dissident voices through Orwellian content moderation.'

Additionally, Samson said, 'Independent regulators now oversee social media companies, including major US platforms like X, threatening huge fines for any breach of strict speech restrictions.'

The spat comes as the EU seeks to strike a trade deal with the US to avoid President Trump's tariffs, and Rubio's comments came just before he was due to meet German Foreign Minister Johann Wadefeur, who is visiting Washington, Reuters noted.

The EU is not the only country that is of concern as a target of the new policy. In Brazil, X was in conflict with the Supreme Court over the deletion of social media posts, and X's services in Brazil were temporarily suspended in October 2024 until X paid a fine .

Brazilian Supreme Court orders X to suspend service in the country - GIGAZINE



One of the people, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the Brazilian government was waiting to find out who would be subject to the new policy and to what extent.

in Web Service, Posted by log1l_ks