US Announces Visa Curbs Targeting Social Media ‘Censorship’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions on foreign officials and other individuals who “censor Americans,” including those who target American technology companies, as the Trump administration steps up a confrontation with other countries over their social media policies.

Without giving specifics, Rubio cited instances of foreign governments censoring protected speech in the US, saying it was unacceptable for foreigners to “issue or threaten arrest warrants on US citizens or US residents for social media posts on American platforms,” according to a statement on Wednesday.

Marco Rubio, US secretary of state, during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.

Photographer: Nathan Howard/Bloomberg

It is unclear from the statement what prompted the move and whether ...