US defends expanded social media screening of foreign visa applicants

The US State Department defended its extensive online screening of foreign visa applicants after a report said the Trump administration was expanding social media vetting to additional visa categories including foreign journalists and some Canadian and Mexican professionalsThe Daily Signal reported that an internal State Department memorandum required applicants to make their social media accounts public or open for examination by consular officersAccording to the report the expanded requirement would cover foreign media representatives and qualified Canadian and Mexican nationals entering the United States for business under the United StatesMexicoCanada Agreement Their dependants would also be coveredThe State Department did not confirm or deny the reported memorandumldquoWhile we do not comment on purported internal documents the Trump Administration is protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa processrdquo a State Department spokesperson told IANSldquoAs Secretary Rubio said lsquoa visa is a privilege not a rightrsquordquo the spokesperson addedThe department said every foreign national seeking admission to the United States was subjected to extensive checksldquoThe Department of State is screening and vetting to the maximum extent possible every foreign national seeking admission to the United States to ensure they will respect US law including the terms of their admission and do not pose a threat to US security public safety or national interestsrdquo the spokesperson saidThe Daily Signal reported that social media vetting was already required for applicants seeking diplomatic and official visas temporary worker and trainee visas and exchange visitor visasThe requirement also covered international cultural exchange participants religious workers and applicants classified as witnesses informants or victims according to the reportThe State Department said its screening rules remained under continuous examinationldquoThe Department is constantly reviewing and evaluating screening and vetting procedures worldwide to ensure that our visa process upholds the highest standards for US national security and public safetyrdquo the spokesperson saidConsular officers use information available online as part of their assessment of whether an applicant qualifies for a visa and presents any security concernsldquoOfficers use a variety of methods to make informed decisions that protect national security prevent fraud and ensure a thorough review of applicantsrdquo the spokesperson saidldquoOnline presence vetting is about applicants demonstrating their eligibility to receive a visa under US law and ensuring that no individual poses a risk to the safety and security of the United Statesrdquo the spokesperson addedThe expansion would extend an online screening policy that the administration has already applied to several major visa groups It could require more applicants to expose posts and other information previously limited to approved followersThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever