Oh, cool – the United States is now asking almost all visa applicants to provide details of their social media on their applications. Super cool. Super chill and cooool.
As of right now, visa applicants to the United States are required to provide the names of their social media accounts for the last five years. According to screenshots of the application website, applicants have to select from a dropdown list that includes Ask.fm, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, MySpace (fucken MySpace?!), Reddit, Tumblr, Twitter and YouTube.
If any journalists need a screenshot of the new visa question, please use this one as I took it myself versus the one I posted which was passed to me by a colleague and I’m not sure of the origin. This one actually shows more detail anyway. pic.twitter.com/iDZvk3LIOv
— Greg Siskind (@gsiskind) May 31, 2019
Applicants are also asked to provide the last five years’ worth of email addresses and telephone numbers they’ve used, along with international travel, deportation status, and whether any family members have been involved in terrorism.
These requirements apply to all visa applicants except for certain diplomatic and official visas.
According to CBC, the US State Department says that getting this info “will strengthen our process for vetting these applicants and confirming their identity“.
National security is our top priority when adjudicating visa applications, and every prospective traveller and immigrant to the United States undergoes extensive security screening. 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.
It’s estimated that these new stipulations will affect 14.7 million people every year. Civil rights group the American Civil Liberties Union told media that there’s “no evidence that such social media monitoring is effective or fair“, and said that it would cause people to self-censor online, which, well, yeah.
The move has already attracted condemnation from journalists, commentators and politicians, including former NZ Prime Minister Helen Clark.
“US demands social media details from visa applicants” reports @BBCWorld. On the face of it, this seems rather extraordinary. If an authoritarian regime was demanding such information ℹ️ from visa applicants, wouldn’t eyebrows be raised? https://t.co/B0qyQZk6qk
— Helen Clark (@HelenClarkNZ) June 1, 2019
This boils my blood. If my social media were reviewed, there’s little chance I’d be issued a US visa.
Also, I’m already thinking of ways to abuse this. There’s little chance foreign intelligence haven’t figured out the same… https://t.co/wI8UYDrUhu
— Jake Williams (@MalwareJake) June 1, 2019
Any way, I won’t be applying for a US visa anytime soon – or probably ever.
You cannot, on the one hand, claim that you believe in “personal liberty”, then on the other demand for my social media identities – before I visit your nation.https://t.co/pRdpdd2gCV
— Onye Nkuzi (@cchukudebelu) June 1, 2019
A State Department spokesperson has told the media that applicants who are caught lying about their social media could face “serious immigration consequences”. Once again: super chill, reasonable and cool. The land of the free! Alright!!!
