Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced this week that foreign nationals who censor the free speech of Americans will no longer be welcomed or even allowed in the country.
Marco Rubio 2.0 is such a huge improvement over the Marco of the past.
A lot of this has to do with the tendency of European countries to censor social media posts from Americans. In the UK, it has gotten so bad that posting the wrong thing on social media can get the police to show up at your house.
Reuters reported:
US to ban foreign officials over ‘flagrant censorship’ on social media
The U.S. will impose visa bans on foreign nationals it deems to be censoring Americans, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday, and he suggested the new policy could target officials regulating U.S. tech companies.
Rubio did not name any specific instances of censorship. But U.S. tech companies and the Trump administration have challenged U.S. allies in Europe, alleging censorship of social media platforms. Restricting officials from visiting the U.S. appeared to be an escalation by Washington.
Rubio said in a statement that a new visa restriction policy would apply to foreign nationals responsible for censorship of protected expression in the U.S. He said it was unacceptable for foreign officials to issue or threaten arrest warrants for social media posts made on U.S. soil.
This is from the State Department website:
Announcement of a Visa Restriction Policy Targeting Foreign Nationals Who Censor Americans
Free speech is among the most cherished rights we enjoy as Americans. This right, legally enshrined in our constitution, has set us apart as a beacon of freedom around the world. Even as we take action to reject censorship at home, we see troubling instances of foreign governments and foreign officials picking up the slack. In some instances, foreign officials have taken flagrant censorship actions against U.S. tech companies and U.S. citizens and residents when they have no authority to do so.
Today, I am announcing a new visa restriction policy that will apply to foreign nationals who are responsible for censorship of protected expression in the United States. It is unacceptable for foreign officials to issue or threaten arrest warrants on U.S. citizens or U.S. residents for social media posts on American platforms while physically present on U.S. 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. We will not tolerate encroachments upon American sovereignty, especially when such encroachments undermine the exercise of our fundamental right to free speech.
It’s great to see our State Department defending the basic rights of American citizens. Rubio is shaping up to be one of Trump’s best cabinet choices.
