SCOOP: Trump Admin Is Preparing to Revoke Visas of Critics of Elon Musk’s Twitter
Deep Dives
Explore related topics with these Wikipedia articles, rewritten for enjoyable reading:
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Digital Services Act
13 min read
The article mentions the EU's $140 million fine against Twitter for breaching this act. Understanding the DSA's scope, requirements, and enforcement mechanisms provides essential context for why European regulators have authority over American tech platforms.
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Thierry Breton
10 min read
Named as one of the two individuals whose visas may be revoked. As former EU Commissioner for Internal Market, he was directly responsible for enforcing the Digital Services Act against major tech platforms including Twitter, making his background crucial context.
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Visa policy of the United States
10 min read
The article discusses visa revocation as a policy tool. Understanding how US visa authority works, including green cards vs temporary visas and executive discretion in revocations, illuminates the legal mechanisms being deployed.
Donald Trump’s administration is in high-level talks to revoke the visas of two European green card holders, according to documentation seen by Zeteo. Both are prominent critics of Twitter (also known as “X”), the social media site owned by on-again-off-again Trump pal, Elon Musk.
Per a draft for an action memo outlining options for Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the administration is weighing a move to revoke the visas of Former European Union Commissioner Thierry Breton and Imran Ahmed, CEO and founder of the Center for Countering Digital Hate.
The move would mark one of the administration’s first attempts to revoke the visas of people they deem to be engaging in the “censorship” of Americans. Just last week, the State Department reportedly directed officials to screen out applicants for skilled worker visas who have previously worked to combat online misinformation and disinformation.
The visa revocation plans, which are being done in the name of free speech, come after the administration actively stifled the speech of foreign students across the US, detaining some over their speech against Israel’s US-backed genocide in Palestine. The administration indicated it may also soon demand that visiting tourists’ submit five years’ worth of social media posts before entering the country.
The draft memo is meant to provide options for Rubio to respond to a $140 million fine that the European Union levied against Twitter for breaches of the Digital Services Act surrounding transparency.
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