US Cracks Down on Foreign Censorship: New Visa Policy Targets Free Speech Violators Abroad

 

Foreign nationals accused of stifling the free speech rights of Americans will no longer be granted visas to enter the United States, according to a bold new policy announced by Senator Marco Rubio. In a firm statement shared on X, Rubio made it clear that individuals who are “complicit in censoring Americans” are no longer welcome. “For too long, Americans have been fined, harassed and even charged by foreign authorities for exercising their free speech rights,” Rubio declared. He added, “Foreigners who undermine those rights should not enjoy the privilege of travelling to our country.”

 

The policy is aimed at pushing back against foreign governments and officials who Rubio claims have taken aggressive steps to silence U.S. citizens and companies. “Even as we take action to reject censorship at home, we see troubling instances of foreign governments and foreign officials picking up the slack,” he said. “In some instances, foreign officials have taken flagrant censorship actions against US tech companies and US citizens and residents when they have no authority to do so.” He emphasized that 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.”

 

Adding to this growing friction, Samuel Samson, a senior adviser in the State Department’s Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, singled out Britain and several European countries as examples of deteriorating respect for democratic values. Samson accused them of becoming “a hotbed of digital censorship, mass migration, restrictions on religious freedom, and numerous other assaults on democratic self-governance.” In an official article titled The Need for Civilizational Allies in Europe, published on the State Department’s Substack, Samson argued that democratic backsliding in Europe poses a direct risk to U.S. security and interests. “Europe’s democratic backsliding not only impacts European citizens but increasingly affects American security and economic ties, along with the free speech rights of American citizens and companies,” he wrote.

 

The Trump administration has taken a particular interest in perceived censorship abroad, sending a five-person delegation led by Samson to the UK in March to investigate free speech concerns. During the visit, U.S. officials met with anti-abortion activists, officials from Ofcom, and representatives from the Foreign Office. Samson cited the arrests of two British citizens, Livia Tossici-Bolt and Adam Smith-Connor, who were detained for silently praying outside abortion clinics, as indicators of troubling trends. He also pointed to cases in which British citizens were arrested over online posts criticizing migration policy, saying such actions reflected a crackdown on dissenting voices.

 

In his article, Samson further criticized Germany for establishing “elaborate systems to monitor and censor online speech under the guise of combating disinformation and preventing offence.” He accused the European Union of weaponizing the Digital Services Act to “silence dissident voices through Orwellian content moderation,” rather than focusing on its stated aim of protecting children from harmful content.

 

Echoing these concerns, U.S. Vice-President JD Vance warned during the Munich Security Conference in February that Europe was drifting away from its foundational democratic values. “The threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values — values shared with the United States of America,” he said, signals a crisis of shared ideals.

 

In a rare move in March, the State Department issued an official statement voicing concern over freedom of expression in the United Kingdom, especially in the context of anti-abortion advocacy. The message from Washington is clear: the U.S. will no longer turn a blind eye to foreign efforts to stifle the voices of its citizens, even when those actions originate from long-time allies.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Times  2025-05-29

 

 

The hypocrisy is astounding trump is stifling free speech at home now this spare me!!

The folly of King Canute* comes to mind.

2 hours ago, Social Media said:

Foreign nationals accused of stifling the free speech rights of Americans will no longer be granted visas to enter the United States,

No more visits from Labour ministers then ..... Sir Kier will not be happy with that one!

12 minutes ago, gargamon said:

Never heard of him. I thought it was a mistype... Interesting.

 

The spelling I expected would apply to Trump though.

No it’s not a mistype.

 

King Canute* ordered the tide not to rise.

 

https://blogs.bl.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2016/11/turning-the-tide.html

 

*edited by Elwood to use the normal English spelling and avoid offense.

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

No more visits from Labour ministers then ..... Sir Kier will not be happy with that one!

Which Americans have had their free speech restricted in the UK by PM Starmer?

26 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

The folly of King Canute* comes to mind.

Possibly an occasion for the "spelling police" to rally to the cause?

😆

2 hours ago, Social Media said:

He added, “Foreigners who undermine those rights should not enjoy the privilege of travelling to our country.”

 

Oh dear, I guess Keir Rodney Starmer won't be welcome then, having locked up multiple Brits for lengthy sentences for questioning his immigration policy on FaceBook. 

 

Who's he going to send in his place? Lammy? Rayner? I can't imagine Trump/Vance tolerating those fools for too long.  

 

Good to see The GOP standing up for freedom of speech. It's refreshing. We need someone to stand up to Labour's well established position on it, summed up beautifully by Idi Amin. 

 

 

 

16 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Good to see The GOP standing up for freedom of speech.

Two Amendments underpin all of our freedoms. The First Amendment and the Second Amendment.

 

The Democrats and Socialists hate both

8 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Two Amendments underpin all of our freedoms. The First Amendment and the Second Amendment.

 

The Democrats and Socialists hate both

A very odd thing to say in this particular thread.

 

Are we now to expect Trump to demand Americans be afforded the right to bear arms while abroad and sanctions against any Government that denies that ‘right’?

 

 

10 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Are we now to expect Trump to demand Americans be afforded the right to bear arms while abroad and sanctions against any Government that denies that ‘right’?

No, thats more stupid than your usual nonsense.

1 minute ago, Yagoda said:

No, thats more stupid than your usual nonsense.

It wasn’t me who introduced the wildly irrelevant 2nd amendment to this thread.

 
look closer to home for the stupid usual nonsense.
 

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

t wasn’t me who introduced the wildly irrelevant 2nd amendment to this thread.

"Wildly irrelevant". What a buffoonish statement hahahahahaha

Note to Americans who are overseas:

 

You’re not in Kansas anymore.

 

 

So the fascist Regime in the US has set an end to free speech in their Country, but will control free Speech in the rest of of the World?

3 hours ago, Social Media said:

Foreign nationals accused of stifling the free speech rights of Americans will no longer be granted visas to enter the United States, according to a bold new policy announced by Senator Marco Rubio. In a firm statement shared on X, Rubio made it clear that individuals who are “complicit in censoring Americans” are no longer welcome. “For too long, Americans have been fined, harassed and even charged by foreign authorities for exercising their free speech rights,” Rubio declared. He added, “Foreigners who undermine those rights should not enjoy the privilege of travelling to our country.”

Interesting.  I wonder if that will bleed over to the shadow banning and censorship of opinions of US citizens who are members of foreign social media outlets.  🤔

44 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Note to Americans who are overseas:

 

You’re not in Kansas anymore.

 

 

The way I read it:
Note to foreigners stifling "freedom of speech" of US citizens. 

"Don't plan any trips to Kansas (or any other US state) anymore.

1 hour ago, Yagoda said:

Two Amendments underpin all of our freedoms. The First Amendment and the Second Amendment.

 

The Democrats and Socialists hate both

Doing my best Bill Murray impression:  "That's a fact Jack!"  💯

US Antifa Democrat voter after a visit to the gun shop - "Use my correct pronouns or else."



Conservative Americans responsibly exercising their 2A rights

1 hour ago, UWEB said:

So the fascist Regime in the US has set an end to free speech in their Country, but will control free Speech in the rest of of the World?

Oh yeah, Germany. Hows that war against the Afd coming? Gonna get the Einsatzgruppen to handle them?

 

Of course you have no facts to support the USA being a "fascist regime" and can point to NO FACTS TO SUPPORT your LIE that there are now attempts to control speech in the USA. 

 

Keep repeating your BIG LIE then, a fabulous tactic developed in your land of freedom.

 

We bombed the goosesteppers out once to help preserve the ideals of freedom. Looks like it didnt work. Should have listened to Morganthau.

3 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Oh yeah, Germany. Hows that war against the Afd coming? Gonna get the Einsatzgruppen to handle them?

 

Of course you have no facts to support the USA being a "fascist regime" and can point to NO FACTS TO SUPPORT your LIE that there are now attempts to control speech in the USA. 

 

Keep repeating your BIG LIE then, a fabulous tactic developed in your land of freedom.

 

We bombed the goosesteppers out once to help preserve the ideals of freedom. Looks like it didnt work. Should have listened to Morganthau.

3 minutes ago, connda said:

Doing my best Bill Murray impression:  "That's a fact Jack!"  💯

US Antifa Democrat voter after a visit to the gun shop - "Use my correct pronouns or else."



Conservative Americans responsibly exercising their 2A rights

Nice to see an old timer in that pic with a revolver. Ruger 44 looks like. I say he is an oldtimer because all these kids today have orgasms over plastic plstols, and only us old dudes and hunters shoot wheel guns.

Hilarious. This is what happens in a flawed electoral system >> children get to run countries. These kids are in charge of nukes, folks!

Just now, UWEB said:

Wow, an opinion of the Economist and a cartoon, what an intellectua riposte.

3 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Wow, an opinion of the Economist and a cartoon, what an intellectua riposte.

Some people don't understand anything else, their IQ is just too low.

“For too long, Americans have been fined, harassed and even charged by foreign authorities for exercising their free speech rights,” Rubio declared.

Lots of insanity generated daily by Trump & Co... hypocrisy big on list too. 

What about doctoral candidate ICE picked up in Vermont and shipped to La hoping to boot her out of country/cancel student visa with no due process at all? For writing a mildly critical editorial in a student newspaper? Is that not exercising free speech? Jesus Mario....

and that woman was not alone in suppression and arrests without warrants and deportation without hearings

13 minutes ago, UWEB said:

Some people don't understand anything else, their IQ is just too low.

I know its hard for you, with the language barrier and your Struwwelpeter background, but you should try harder. 

7 minutes ago, Emdog said:

“For too long, Americans have been fined, harassed and even charged by foreign authorities for exercising their free speech rights,” Rubio declared.

Lots of insanity generated daily by Trump & Co... hypocrisy big on list too. 

What about doctoral candidate ICE picked up in Vermont and shipped to La hoping to boot her out of country/cancel student visa with no due process at all? For writing a mildly critical editorial in a student newspaper? Is that not exercising free speech? Jesus Mario....

and that woman was not alone in suppression and arrests without warrants and deportation without hearings

You are lying.

2 hours ago, Yagoda said:

No, thats more stupid than your usual nonsense.

Bit rich coming from the king of stupid.

12 minutes ago, theshu25 said:

Bit rich coming from the king of stupid.

Debate you any time LOL. Your low intellectual level is best illustrated by your political positions.

How does that sit with:

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution protects several fundamental rights, including the freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and the right to petition the government. It prohibits Congress from making laws that establish a religion or restrict these freedoms.

 

He might think he's projecting American Power but all he's doing is showing American Hypocrisy.

 

But I do notice it only appears to restrict Congress not the President.

Congress needs to assert its authority and not walk into an Trump Autocracy. Who knows where that would lead?