The Donald Trump-led US administration has announced a major shift in its visa policy. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently made a declaration that could significantly reshape global digital policy. According to the new rule, if any foreign national residing in the US is found pressuring American tech companies (such as Facebook or Twitter) to censor social media comments made by Americans, their US visa will be cancelled.
What Did Marco Rubio Say?
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that if a foreign citizen, while living in the US, threatens arrest or punitive action over comments made on social media posts, it will not be tolerated. Furthermore, if any foreign government or official demands censorship of content posted by US citizens on American social media platforms, they will be denied a US visa.
What Does the New US Policy Say?
According to the new policy, freedom of expression is one of the fundamental rights in the United States. Therefore, if any foreign official tries to pressure US-based social media companies to remove or modify content, it will be considered grounds for a visa ban. Any foreign legal action, such as arrest warrants or judicial proceedings against US citizens for their online statements, will be treated as interference.
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Which Countries Could Be Affected?
Although the statement did not name any specific country, in recent years, several nations—including the European Union, Australia, Brazil, India, and other Asian countries—have imposed fines, issued notices, or placed restrictions on social media platforms. In countries like India, if legal action is taken against political or religious comments posted on Twitter or Facebook and those comments are linked to US citizens, those responsible could be banned from entering the US.
The Global Influence of American Social Media Platforms
The US owns many of the world’s leading social media platforms, including Meta (Mark Zuckerberg), X [formerly Twitter] (Elon Musk), and YouTube (Google). These platforms form the backbone of global digital communication. As a result, any policy or legal action by one country can have direct implications in the United States.