News 2 June 2019
  views

You now have to give the US government your social media usernames to get a visa for travel

2 June 2019
  views
Share
Share

Those wanting to travel to the US for work or study will have to hand over their social media usernames, phone numbers and email address history under new plans announced by the US government.

On the new rules, US officials said, “We are constantly working to find mechanisms to improve our screening processes to protect US citizens while supporting legitimate travel to the United States”.

They also said that collecting the usernames for platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube, “will strengthen our process for vetting these applicants and confirming their identity”.

The new rules will affect an estimated 14.7 million people each year but individuals with certain specified diplomatic statuses will be exempt from the legislation and stringent checks.

The move comes as Donald Trump continues to clamp down on immigration and continues to introduce new screening processes and bureaucratic measures to keep down the number of immigrants and migrants coming into America.

Previously, social media screening was solely reserved for individuals who had travelled to parts of the world under the control of terrorist groups however the screening will now be rolled out to all.

As well as their social media usernames, visa applicants will also be asked for their resident status, nationality information and if anyone related to them has been in involved in any terrorist activities.

For more politics news, this time closer to home, click here to read about Theresa May’s proposed plan to reduce tuition fees and bring back maintenance grants for poorer students.