Trump administration approves new rules requiring US visa applicants to hand over social media accounts as part of ‘rigorous vetting’ of potential terrorists
State Department has issued new guidelines for US visa questionnaires
Applicants will now by required to divulge social media accounts and handles
They will also have to reveal travel information from past 15 years
Trump administration says move is in line with ‘extreme vetting’ of migrants
By ARIEL ZILBER
DAILYMAIL.COM
2 June 2017
The Trump administration will now ask US visa applicants for their social media handles and accounts before they are permitted to enter the country, it was reported on Friday.
The State Department will now require anyone applying for a visa to hand over social media identities used during the past five years in addition to their travel history from the previous 15 years, Fox News reported.
Applicants will also have to provide sources of funding they received for those trips.
It remains unclear when the new policy will be put into practice.
The new policy is in line with the State Department’s intention to institute procedures that would ‘more rigorously’ evaluate visa applicants in order to rule out those with ties to terrorism.
‘Collecting additional information from visa applicants whose circumstances suggest a need for further scrutiny will strengthen our process for vetting these applicants and confirming their identity,’ a State Department official told Fox News.
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