US announces new visa ban policy to tackle foreign censorship. Who will be affected?
According to Marco Rubio, the threat of arrest warrants against US citizens or residents by foreign officials in order to ‘censor’ them was "unacceptable".
The Donald Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it was introducing a new visa ban rule for foreign officials demanding moderation of content posted on American-owned social media platforms.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the visa ban will target those who "censor" Americans' comments on social media platforms owned by US tech firms. He also said that visa bans would be implemented against foreign officials who demand content be taken down or moderated on American tech platforms.
The new policy comes as many countries in Asia and Europe have been serving ‘take down notices and taking other legal actions against social media companies. But Rubio’s statement did not mention any specific country or official who would be affected by the new visa restrictions.
What did Marco Rubio's statement convey regarding the censorship of Americans?
According to Marco Rubio, the threat of arrest warrants against US citizens or residents or any punitive action by foreign officials in order to ‘censor’ them was "unacceptable".
"It is unacceptable for foreign officials to issue or threaten arrest warrants on US citizens or US residents for social media posts on American platforms while physically present on US soil. It is similarly unacceptable for foreign officials to demand that American tech platforms adopt global content moderation policies or engage in censorship activity that reaches beyond their authority and into the United States," Rubio’s statement read.
Rubio pointed out that officials of some countries have been censoring US citizens and residents and have taken actions to that effect against American social media tech companies. He said that such actions were taken despite those officials having no authority to do so.
New 'social media vetting policy for US study visa
The US State Department, under President Donald Trump’s administration, has introduced a new obstacle for international students by planning mandatory social media vetting for all applicants seeking to study in the United States.
According to a cable from Marco Rubio, consular sections have been instructed to pause scheduling appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants until the vetting process is completed. He added that updated guidelines will be issued once a comprehensive review is finalised.
