Trump admin defends visa restrictions for social media moderators
What's the story
The Trump administration is defending its controversial policy to deny entry to some social media moderation advocates. The case was heard by US District Court Judge James Boasberg on Wednesday, involving a lawsuit filed by the non-profit Coalition for Independent Technology Research (CITR) against Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials from the Trump administration.
Legal challenge
Lawsuit filed over visa restrictions policy
The lawsuit revolves around a policy that permits visa restrictions for foreign officials who "demand that American tech platforms adopt global content moderation policies." The CITR is seeking a preliminary injunction to block this policy. The State Department had already invoked this policy when it sanctioned five individuals working on online disinformation issues, including a European official who led enforcement of digital services rules.
Chilling effect
Policy could deter scholars from discussing work
The CITR argues that the policy could stifle research into content moderation and online misinformation. It claims that the policy could deter scholars from freely discussing their work or publishing certain research before international travel. "One of the worst parts about a chilling effect is all of the research that won't happen," said Brandi Geurkink, CITR's executive director, after Wednesday's hearing.
Legal argument
Government's defense focuses on narrow interpretation of policy
The government's defense relies heavily on a narrow interpretation of the policy. Attorney Zack Lindsey argued that it only targets those working for foreign governments, not independent researchers. However, Carrie DeCell, a senior staff attorney at Knight First Amendment Institute representing CITR, countered that there is no evidence that people like Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) CEO, Imran Ahmed, were working with a foreign government. Ahmed, who was a target of the sanctions, is a lawful permanent US resident.
Policy ambiguity
'Working with a foreign government' definition remains vague
Lindsey maintained that Ahmed wasn't targeted under the policy, even though Rubio referenced it in a memo saying Ahmed was "deportable." This left the definition of "working with a foreign government" vague, which DeCell argued is likely intentional. The State Department wants to maintain broad authority to deny visas, regardless of how the policy is applied in individual cases.