- Nigerians, Other U.S Visa Applicants to Submit Social Media Details
In an effort to ensure only credible visa applicants are issued an entry visa to the United States, the Trump administration has mandated all visa applicants to hand over the details of any social media account they have used in the last five years.
The new policy started by State Department on Friday will give the U.S government access to valuable information like locations, photos, dates of birth, dates of milestones and other personal data shared on those social media accounts.
“We already request certain contact information, travel history, family member information, and previous addresses from all visa applicants,” the State Department said in a statement. “We are constantly working to find mechanisms to improve our screening processes to protect U.S. citizens, while supporting legitimate travel to the United States.”
The new policy was part of President Trump requests three years ago, when he asked the secretary of state, the attorney general, the secretary of homeland security and the director of national intelligence to put in effect “a uniform baseline for screening and vetting standards and procedures.”
“This seems to be part and parcel of the same effort to have an extraordinary broad surveillance of citizens and noncitizens,” Elora Mukherjee, director of the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School, said on Sunday of the latest development. “Given the scope of the surveillance efforts, it is hard to find a rational basis for the broad surveillance the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security have been doing for almost two years.”
Immigration experts said the new policy could prevent genuine visa applicants from applying for US visa knowing their privacy will be invaded.
“This is a dangerous and problematic proposal, which does nothing to protect security concerns but raises significant privacy concerns and First Amendment issues for citizens and immigrants,” Hina Shamsi, the director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Security Project, said on Sunday. “Research shows that this kind of monitoring has chilling effects, meaning that people are less likely to speak freely and connect with each other in online communities that are now essential to modern life.”
This was coming two weeks after the U.S canceled drop box for Visa applicants in Nigeria and asked all applicants in Nigeria to appear for an interview before they can be granted a visa.
President Trump has made security his priority and continues to introduce various measures to protect and ensure the safety of the American people, especially as the second-term campaign draw nearer.
