The US State Department has instructed consular staff to reject visa applications from certain skilled workers in online safety roles over concerns about compliance with “censoring” Americans’ free speech.
According to the internal memo Reuters obtained, which was
circulated on Tuesday, the directive focuses on applicants for H-1B visas for
highly skilled workers, which are frequently used by tech companies and other
sectors.
“If you uncover evidence an applicant was responsible for,
or complicit in, censorship or attempted censorship of protected expression in
the United States, you should pursue a finding that the applicant is
ineligible,” the memo reads.
The memo asked US consular officers to review resumes or
LinkedIn profiles of H-1B applicants – and family members who would be
travelling with them – to see if they have worked in areas that include
activities such as misinformation, disinformation, content moderation,
fact-checking, compliance and online safety, among others.
“You must thoroughly explore their employment histories to
ensure no participation in such activities,” the document added.
The new vetting requirements apply to both new and returning
applicants.
A state department spokesperson said the US does not support
aliens coming to work as censors muzzling Americans but refrained from
commenting on “allegedly leaked documents”.
In May, Marco Rubio, secretary of state, said the US would
impose a visa restriction policy on foreign nationals who censor Americans on
social media.
Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp), Google
(owner of YouTube and other services), Microsoft (owner of LinkedIn), X, and
Snapchat are all American tech platforms.
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