US lawsuit challenges H-1B visa restrictions for fact-checkers, moderators
A group called the Coalition for Independent Technology Research (CITR) is taking the Trump administration to court after a new rule told US consulates to deny H-1B visas to people with backgrounds in fact-checking and content moderation.
The lawsuit, filed in Washington, D.C., calls out top officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and argues that this move unfairly targets researchers working on issues like misinformation (and related work such as fact-checking, content moderation, and trust & safety).
Blocking these visas could help countries spread online propaganda
Some analysts warn blocking these visas could actually help countries like Russia, Iran, and China spread more online propaganda—especially as AI makes fake news easier to create.
With tech companies already cutting back on human moderators, losing international experts only makes things worse.
CITR's executive director Brandi Geurkink shared that researchers are now worried about their safety and families just for studying Big Tech's impact: researchers fear they and their families could face detention or deportation.
The case is ongoing, but its outcome could shape who gets to help fight disinformation online.