Visas as weapons | US Americans should be allowed to incite hatred

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced visa restrictions against foreign officials who, in Washington's view, are involved in the "censorship" of online content against US citizens or companies. "Anyone who undermines the rights of Americans should not be allowed to travel to the US," Rubio wrote on X on Wednesday – shortly before a meeting with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU). The measure applies to officials "in Latin America, Europe, or elsewhere."

Rubio specifically criticized foreign officials who "require American technology platforms to adopt global content moderation policies or engage in censorship efforts that extend beyond their jurisdiction and encroach into the United States." According to the U.S. State Department, family members could also be affected by visa restrictions.

The EU Commission is the focus of US criticism after it announced in February that it would also enforce new digital laws on American companies. In April, Brussels, under Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, imposed €700 million fines on Apple and Meta for violations of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Von der Leyen could thus also be affected by Rubio's threats.

The first attack on EU regulation came from US Vice President JD Vance in February. In an irritating speech at the Munich Security Conference, he accused European governments of restricting freedom of expression with laws against US corporations and the political exclusion of the far-right AfD.

Derision over Rubio's announcement on Wednesday came from the Bild newspaper, which, along with right-wing media outlets such as Nius and Apollo News, has been fueling the debate about alleged restrictions on freedom of expression in Germany since last year. "No more visas for social media supervisors," the newspaper headlined on Wednesday, speculating: "The visa ban could equally affect politicians, special hate speech prosecutors, and non-governmental organizations."

Right-wing media outlets have particularly targeted licensed reporting centers, which, with state funding, are supposed to detect online hate speech and inform those affected. This is how Germany implements the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA). A nationwide "day of action" on this topic was covered last year by the US broadcaster "CBS ." This video—and the organizers' astonishment at possible restrictions on freedom of expression in Germany—ultimately prompted the US Vice President's tirade at the Munich Security Conference.

Parallel to Rubio's new threats, US media are reporting an internal directive completely suspending visa processing for all foreign students in the country until further notice. In addition, the State Department plans to conduct expanded review of social media activity in visa applications. The administration has not yet officially announced these plans. Several US media outlets reported that US embassies and consulates worldwide have been instructed not to schedule any new appointments for such visa applications for the time being.

German Foreign Minister Wadephul wanted to ensure that US visa requirements did not apply to German students in Washington. However, he was apparently unable to address this directly with Rubio. During his visit, Wadephul emphasized that the German government stands for freedom of expression and academic freedom.

This measure continues the Trump administration's repression, particularly against foreign students who have expressed criticism of Israel's Gaza war or participated in related protests. The elite university Harvard had previously been denied permission to enroll international students for similar reasons – but a court temporarily halted this.

Chinese students studying in the United States are particularly affected by the tightening of restrictions: The US government intends to revoke their residence permits and tighten the rules for future applications. Secretary of State Rubio stated succinctly that his office, along with the Department of Homeland Security, will "aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with ties to the Communist Party or in critical fields of study." With agencies