Shock new US travel ban targets officials who censor tech companies and citizens

Australian politicians, bureaucrats and their families could be barred from the United States under a new policy aimed at foreign nationals around the issue of censorship.

Australian politicians, bureaucrats and their families could be barred from the United States under a new policy aimed at foreign nationals who censor American tech giants and citizens.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a new visa restriction that will apply to all overseas nationals responsible “for censorship of protected expression in the United States”.

“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,” Mr Rubio said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Picture: AP Photo

“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.”

He said the ban could also extend to family members of those officials identified by the new restriction.

The State Department has been a vocal critic of Australian censorship in recent weeks, calling out a legal challenge by the eSafety Commissioner which forced social media platform X to geoblock a post by an anti-puberty blocker campaigner.

In that instance Australia’s eSafety Commissioner found a post by Canadian anti-trans protester Chris Elston was menacing, harassing, offensive, and likely to cause serious harm to an Australian man.

The post has been geoblocked in Australia while a tribunal considers a legal challenge against the commissioner’s decision.

Canadian internet personality and anti-trans protester Chris Elston, better known on the internet at “Billboard Chris”. Picture: Instagram

In a statement earlier this month the department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor said it was “deeply concerned about efforts by governments to coerce American tech companies into targeting individuals for censorship”.

“Examples of this conduct are troublingly numerous. EU Commissioner Thierry Breton threatened X for hosting political speech; Türkiye fined Meta for refusing to restrict content about protests, and Australia required X to remove a post criticising an individual for promoting gender ideology,” the statement said.

Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant appears at the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee Estimates at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire

Mr Rubio posted on X after the announcement, saying: “Free speech is essential to the American way of life – a birthright over which foreign governments have no authority.”

“Foreigners who work to undermine the rights of Americans should not enjoy the privilege of travelling to our country,” he said.

“Whether in Latin America, Europe, or elsewhere, the days of passive treatment for those who work to undermine the rights of Americans are over.”

Originally published as Shock new US travel ban targets officials who censor tech companies and citizens