US Mandates Social Media Checks for Immigrants, Sparks Privacy Concerns

WASHINGTON: The Biden administration has implemented a controversial new immigration rule requiring visa applicants to disclose their social media accounts, drawing immediate criticism from digital rights organizations and immigrant advocates who call the measure “invasive” and “ineffective.”

Key Details of the Policy

✔ Who It Affects: Nearly all US visa applicants (including tourists, students, workers)
✔ Requirements: Must provide 5 years of social media history across all platforms
✔ Implementation: Immediate effect through updated DS-160/DS-260 forms
✔ Purpose: Homeland Security claims it will “identify security risks”

Major Criticism from Rights Groups

  • ACLU: “Creates digital surveillance regime without proven security benefits”
  • Electronic Frontier Foundation: “Chills free expression, enables profiling”
  • MPI Study: Shows similar 2019 policy yielded zero terrorism cases

Why This Matters

The policy:

  1. Expands digital surveillance of foreign visitors
  2. Could create false positives due to algorithmic screening errors
  3. May disproportionately affect Muslim and Chinese applicants

Legal and Practical Challenges

  • Enforcement questions: How platforms like WeChat/Telegram will be monitored
  • First Amendment concerns: For US citizens communicating with applicants
  • Data security risks: Of creating centralized social media database

Global Context

Similar measures exist in:
✓ UK (since 2019)
✓ Canada (2021 pilot program)
✓ Australia (2017 policy)

But US version is most extensive, covering:
• Mainstream platforms (Facebook, Twitter)
• Regional networks (VK, Weibo)
• Messaging apps (WhatsApp, Signal)

What Happens Next?

  • Expected legal challenges from civil liberties groups
  • Possible congressional hearings on privacy implications
  • Potential reciprocal policies from other nations

Bottom Line

While officials defend the policy as necessary for national security, critics warn it establishes dangerous precedents for:
→ Mass surveillance creep
→ Discriminatory profiling
→ Erosion of digital privacy norms

The coming months will test whether this screening system can withstand mounting legal and political challenges in an increasingly polarized debate over immigration and security.