Excerpted from an Economic Times article
US immigration authorities are seeking public input on a proposal to collect social media handles from applicants for immigration benefits, including green cards and citizenship. The proposal follows an executive order from former President Donald Trump aimed at enhancing national security and vetting standards.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a notice on March 5, inviting public comments for 60 days. The proposed policy would require individuals applying for US immigration benefits, including asylum seekers and those already residing in the country, to disclose their social media handles. It does not seek passwords but aims to monitor online activity as part of the vetting process.
The move has raised concerns among immigration and free speech advocates, who argue it extends government surveillance to individuals already extensively screened. Rachel Levinson-Waldman, managing director at New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice, noted that the policy would impact those who arrived in the US before social media vetting became a standard requirement. “This fairly widely expanded policy to collect them for everyone applying for any kind of immigration benefit, including people who have already been vetted quite extensively,” she said.
A spokesperson for the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) told AP that the measure aims to enhance fraud detection, prevent identity theft, and ensure that applicants do not pose security threats. USCIS estimates that around 3.6 million people could be affected by the change.
The use of social media for immigration vetting has been expanding since 2014, starting under former President Barack Obama. By 2019, the US Department of State had begun collecting social media information from nearly all foreign visa applicants, affecting about 15 million people annually.
The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in processing social media data has also increased. However, experts caution that AI tools have limitations and can misinterpret online content. While speaking with AP, former USCIS Director Leon Rodriguez noted that while AI may assist initial screenings, “we’re anywhere close to where AI will be able to exercise the judgment of a trained fraud detection and national security officer.”
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