According to a senior adviser at the U.S. State Department, Britain and Europe have become "a hotbed of digital censorship, mass migration, restrictions on religious freedom, and various other attacks on democratic self-governance." This statement coincided with Marco Rubio's announcement of new visa restrictions.

In the latest development in transatlantic tensions over freedom of speech, Rubio unveiled visa restrictions for foreigners who are "complicit in censoring Americans."

The U.S. Secretary of State stated, "For too long, Americans have faced fines, arrests, and even charges from foreign authorities for exercising their free speech rights." He added that foreigners who "undermine" these rights should not have the privilege of travelling to the United States.

Rubio expressed on X, "It is unacceptable for foreign officials to issue or threaten arrest warrants against U.S. citizens or residents for social media posts on American platforms while they are physically present on U.S. soil."

This announcement followed a post by Rubio's aide, Samuel Samson, on the department's Substack, which claimed that across the continent, "governments have weaponised political institutions against their own citizens and heritage."