WASHINGTON, Could 28 (Reuters) – The U.S. will impose visa bans on overseas nationals it deems to be censoring Individuals, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Wednesday, and he instructed the brand new coverage may goal officers regulating U.S. tech corporations.
Rubio didn’t identify any particular cases of censorship. However U.S. tech corporations and the Trump administration have challenged U.S. allies in Europe, alleging censorship of social media platforms. Proscribing officers from visiting the U.S. gave the impression to be an escalation by Washington.
Rubio stated in a press release {that a} new visa restriction coverage would apply to overseas nationals accountable for censorship of protected expression within the U.S. He stated it was unacceptable for overseas officers to difficulty or threaten arrest warrants for social media posts made on U.S. soil.
“It’s equally unacceptable for overseas officers to demand that American tech platforms undertake world content material moderation insurance policies or have interaction in censorship exercise that reaches past their authority and into the US,” Rubio stated.
Some overseas officers have taken “flagrant censorship actions towards U.S. tech corporations and U.S. residents and residents after they don’t have any authority to take action,” Rubio stated.
U.S. social media corporations like Fb and Instagram mother or father Meta META.O have stated an EU content material moderation legislation, the Digital Companies Act, quantities to censorship of their platforms. The Trump-appointed chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Fee in March warned the EU Digital Companies Act excessively restricts freedom of expression.
EU officers have defended the legislation, which is supposed to make the web atmosphere safer and fairer by compelling tech giants to do extra to sort out unlawful content material, together with hate speech and youngster sexual abuse materials.
The dispute comes because the EU seeks a commerce cope with Washington to keep away from President Donald Trump’s threatened 50% tariffs on European imports. Rubio’s announcement got here simply earlier than he met with German Overseas Minister Johann Wadephul in Washington.
EUROPE ‘A HOTBED OF DIGITAL CENSORSHIP’
Trump officers have repeatedly weighed in on European politics to denounce what they see as suppression of right-wing politicians, together with in Romania, Germany and France, accusing European authorities of censoring views like criticism of immigration within the identify of countering disinformation.
In April, Rubio shut down a State Division workplace that had sought to counter overseas disinformation, accusing it of censorship and losing U.S. taxpayer cash.
In a social media submit on Wednesday, Rubio added, “Whether or not in Latin America, Europe, or elsewhere, the times of passive remedy for individuals who work to undermine the rights of Individuals are over.”
Rubio didn’t identify particular nations or people that might be focused. Brazil has clashed with the platform X, owned by Trump ally Elon Musk, over compliance with orders to take down accounts accused of spreading misinformation.
The Brazilian authorities is ready to completely perceive who could possibly be focused by the ban and what its scope can be, a authorities supply instructed Reuters on situation of anonymity.
The Trump administration has repeatedly referred to as out European nations for supposed censorship of on-line content material.
Vice President JD Vance denounced content material moderation whereas in Paris in February, calling it “authoritarian censorship.”
Rubio has stated threats to free speech are an assault on shared values which can be vital to U.S.-European relationship and stated the difficulty was being raised in diplomacy with each the EU and Britain.
Officers from the State Division’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor are individually visiting EU members France and Eire this week to press these governments on freedom of expression, a State Division official instructed Reuters, requesting anonymity.
An op-ed by Samuel Samson, senior advisor for that bureau, accused Britain and Germany of censoring on-line speech and stated the EU Digital Companies Act was “used to silence dissident voices by Orwellian content material moderation.” He additionally cited Britain’s jailing of two anti-abortion activists.
“Removed from strengthening democratic ideas, Europe has devolved right into a hotbed of digital censorship, mass migration, restrictions on non secular freedom, and quite a few different assaults on democratic self-governance,” Samson wrote. —Reuters