US State Department Policy Bars Fact-Checkers and Misinformation Experts from Visa Access
The US State Department, under the direction of Senator Marco Rubio, has issued instructions targeting international applicants working on fact-checking, misinformation, and content moderation, specifically affecting the H-1B visa program. This policy bars skilled foreign workers who have previously engaged in combating misinformation, disinformation, or similar efforts from entering the United States.
Critics argue that the policy effectively seeks to keep truth-tenders and online-safety workers away from the US, thereby restricting free speech by limiting access to expertise on these topics. Rubio has justified the policy by asserting that admitting workers who might suppress free speech would harm the American way of life, using immigration powers to bar those considered a threat.
This move is seen as part of a broader campaign initiated during the Trump administration to restrict legal immigration and weaken accountability for internet practices. The policy aligns with former President Trump's ongoing efforts to control online discourse, including his January 2021 rhetoric about restoring free speech and executive orders aimed at curbing government censorship.
The article highlights Trump's history with social media moderation, referencing his suspension from Twitter in 2021 and subsequent reinstatement on Truth Social, as well as shifts under Elon Musk's ownership of Twitter/X that illustrate the former president's stance on censorship. It situates the new visa restrictions within longstanding right-wing claims of censorship predating Trump, framing the crackdown as targeting those who could hold Trump and his allies accountable for online behavior.
Critics, including representatives from the Knight First Amendment Institute, have labeled the policy incoherent and unconstitutional, emphasizing that researchers and fact-checkers are protected by the First Amendment and are not engaged in censorship themselves.
