If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. US consular officers have been directed to screen foreign tech workers for any record of silencing lawful expression before granting them H-1B visas, according to a newly circulated State Department cable obtained this week. The order, part of a broader tightening of immigration oversight, tells officials to reject applicants linked to online content control or the policing of political speech. The guidance, distributed to all US embassies on December 2, according to Reuters, marks the first time Washington has explicitly tied visa eligibility to involvement in censorship or the restriction of constitutionally protected expression. It instructs consular staff to examine résumés and professional profiles, particularly LinkedIn accounts, for signs that an applicant or accompanying family member has worked in fields like misinformation response, fact-checking, compliance, or online safety. “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 cable said, citing the Immigration and Nationality Act. The H-1B program, used by US companies to hire what are meant to be skilled professionals from abroad, is a big part of the technology industry. Many firms dependent on it have extensive workforces from India in particular, making the new instructions particularly relevant to Silicon Valley. The document singles out applicants in social media and financial services, sectors it says have played roles “in the suppression of protected expression.” “You must thoroughly explore their employment histories to ensure no participation in such activities,” consular officers were told. The rules apply equally to first-time and returning visa seekers. A State Department spokesperson confirmed that the US opposes admitting foreign nationals who engage in restricting American speech. “We do not support aliens coming to the United States to work as censors muzzling Americans,” the spokesperson said. They added that the President’s own experience of being locked out of social media accounts shaped his insistence that “allowing foreigners to lead this type of censorship would both insult and injure the American people.” In May, Secretary Marco Rubio warned that individuals involved in “censoring speech by Americans” could face visa bans, a threat he suggested might even apply to foreign regulators overseeing US tech platforms. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post US Orders Visa Screening of Foreign Tech Workers Involved in Online Censorship appeared first on Reclaim The Net.