The secretary of states said the U.S. government was taking action against five foreign nationals who led efforts to censor and demonetize Americans.
The United States will block the entry of foreign nationals who have supported efforts to censor Americans, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Dec. 23.
“For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose. The Trump administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship,” Rubio wrote in an X post highlighting the move.
In a related press statement, Rubio said the U.S. State Department will initially take action against five individuals who have organized efforts to compel American companies and platforms to censor, suppress, or demonetize Americans for their speech and views.
“These radical activists and weaponized [non-government organizations] have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states—in each case targeting American speakers and American companies,” Rubio said.
“As such, I have determined that their entry, presence, or activities in the United States have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”
Individuals targeted by this State Department action will generally be barred from entry into the United States.
Rubio said the action also provides the Department of Homeland Security with the authority to begin removal proceedings against those designated foreign nationals, if they are currently residing in the United States.
Rubio did not name the five targeted in this initial action, but described them as “agents of the global censorship-industrial complex.”
The Epoch Times reached out to the State Department for more information about the individuals targeted in this U.S. policy action. The department did not respond by publication time.
In May, Rubio announced new policies to restrict visas for foreign nationals seeking to curtail the free speech of Americans.
“Whether in Latin America, Europe, or elsewhere, the days of passive treatment for those who work to undermine the rights of Americans are over,” he said at the time.
Several U.S. tech companies, including Apple, Google, Microsoft, Meta, and X, have faced scrutiny within the European Union under the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
The DSA requires large tech platforms to account for their content moderation decisions, including the steps they take to remove content deemed to be hateful or deceptive.
By Ryan Morgan
