The United States reportedly plans to expand vetting of social media accounts of visa applicants, including foreign journalists, as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement measures.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reposted an article on Thursday on X by the Daily Signal that said the State Department is expanding its social media vetting to applicants for more types of visas.
The Daily Signal said it had obtained an internal memo outlining the plan, which would require visa applicants to change the settings on their social media accounts to “public” or “open.”
Responding to the reports, a spokesperson for the US State Department said the department is constantly reviewing and evaluating screening and vetting procedures worldwide to ensure the visa process meets the highest standards for US national security and public safety.
The spokesperson said online vetting helps determine whether applicants are eligible for visa under US law and ensures they do not pose security risks to the country.
The United States already requires applicants in some visa categories, including student visas, to make their social media accounts public.
The Daily Signal said it would now apply to foreign media representatives and some nationals from Mexico and Canada.
Since taking office last year, Trump has intensified immigration enforcement, targeting undocumented migrants and tightening entry requirements for citizens of a number of countries.
“A visa is a privilege, not a right,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.
The Trump administration also finalised new immigration rules last month that impose stricter limits on how long foreign students and journalists can stay in the United States.
Under a change that could be implemented as soon as September, foreigners on student visas would be admitted for the length of their academic program up to a maximum of four years.
Foreign journalists would be limited to just 240 days stays, around eight months, but could apply for extensions of similar duration.
