The United States is introducing a new rule that could stop foreign officials from getting U.S. visas if they try to control what Americans say on social media.

This new policy was announced by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said it's wrong for foreign governments to punish or threaten Americans for what they post online, especially if the posts are on platforms owned by U.S. tech companies.

In a statement, Rubio made it clear that the U.S. won’t tolerate these actions.

“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. 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,” the statement said.

Although the statement didn’t point fingers at any specific country or official, Rubio did say that some foreign nationals have already acted unfairly. He mentioned that certain individuals, in their official roles, took part in “flagrant censorship actions” against U.S. companies and citizens, even though they had no legal power to do so.

This step comes at a time when several countries in Europe and Asia are putting legal and policy pressure on American tech companies. Some of these governments have introduced laws that push U.S.-based social media platforms to remove or block content they don’t like.

The new visa policy is meant to protect American citizens’ right to free speech and stop foreign officials from overstepping their boundaries when it comes to online expression.

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