US to screen social media history before issuing visas
For foreign nationals seeking entry into the US, what they randomly posted on Facebook years ago could make or break the granting of a visa.
The State Department said most immigrant and non-immigrant visa applicants could be required to list all social media account details for the past five years.
This data will be used to vet each applicant and could affect nearly 15 million people a year.
All email addresses and phone numbers may also be required.
Previously this data was only required when applicants were singled out for extra scrutiny based on criteria such as previous travel history in high risk regions.
The government is seeking public comment on the proposed new requirements.
The American Civil Liberties Union has expressed its opposition and described it as a backdoor route to an indiscriminate Muslim travel ban.
"People will now have to wonder if what they say online will be misconstrued or misunderstood by a government official. We’re also concerned about how the Trump administration defines the vague and over-broad term ‘terrorist activities’ because it is inherently political and can be used to discriminate against immigrants who have done nothing wrong," said Hina Shamsi, director of ACLU’s National Security Project.
"There is a real risk that social media vetting will unfairly target immigrants and travelers from Muslim majority countries for discriminatory visa denials."
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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