WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has unveiled plans to dramatically increase the digital scrutiny of international applicants seeking US visas by subjecting their social media history to comprehensive review for the preceding five years. This policy marks a significant expansion of surveillance within the immigration process.
The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency formalized the plan by publishing a required notice in the Federal Register. Media reports suggest that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will specifically screen applicants for content that suggests the promotion of anti-US, anti-Semitic, or terrorism-related views.
The scope of this policy is extensive, requiring applicants to also provide sensitive data such as email addresses and phone numbers for family members. Experts warn that this measure could provide officials with a pretext to reject applications based on political bias or arbitrary reasons, rather than legitimate security concerns.
The move significantly increases the risk that even benign anti-US posts made by students, tourists, and other visitors could now jeopardize their visa approval. Crucially, the measure will extend its reach to citizens of visa-waiver countries like the United Kingdom and Germany, demonstrating its unprecedented scale. US citizens have been granted a 60-day period to provide feedback on the proposed measure.
