US to scrutinise visas for officials, targeting those ‘responsible for censorship’
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US will refuse visas to foreign officials who block Americans’ social media posts
The United States will refuse visas to foreign officials who block Americans’ social media posts, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday in his latest crackdown.
Rubio – who himself has come under fire for removing US visas from activists who criticise Israel – said he was acting against “flagrant censorship actions” overseas against US tech firms.
He did not publicly name any official who would lose a visa under the new policy. But last week he suggested to lawmakers that he was planning action against Brazilian Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes, who has battled X owner Elon Musk to remove alleged disinformation.
The administration of US President Donald Trump – himself a prolific and often confrontational social media user – has also sharply criticised allies Germany and Britain for restricting what the governments term hate speech.
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Rubio said that the United States will begin to restrict visas to foreign nationals who are “responsible for censorship of protected expression in the United States”.