US authorities could ask visa applicants for passwords to their own social media accounts in future background checks, US Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly told Congress on Tuesday.
Kelly told the Congress the measure was part of the effort to toughen vetting of visitors from seven Muslim majority countries to screen out people who could pose a security threat, FOX News reported.
He said it was 'one of the things' under consideration especially for visitors from seven Muslim-majority countries with very weak background screening of their own -- Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
"We want to get on their social media, with passwords: What do you do, what do you say?" he told the House Homeland Security Committee. "If they don't want to cooperate then you don't come in."
Kelly said that under the existing vetting process officials "don't have a lot to work with," and have to rely on the applicant's documentation and the answers they provide about their background.
He pointed out the problem with documentation and record keeping in the so-called "failed states" such as Syria or Somalia which posed a problem for US authorities.
"When someone says, 'I'm from this town and this was my occupation,' [officials] essentially have to take the word of the individual," he said. "I frankly don't think that's enough, certainly President Trump doesn't think that's enough. So we've got to maybe add some additional layers."
US may even obtain applicant’s financial records, Kelly said.
"We can follow the money, so to speak. How are you living, who's sending you money?" he said. "It applies under certain circumstances, to individuals who may be involved in on the payroll of terrorist organizations."
Kelly stressed that no decision had been made on this, but said tighter screening was definitely in the future, even if it means longer delays for awarding US visas to visitors.
The ruling by US Court on President Donald Trump's executive order on temporarily barring entry to most refugees and travellers from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and Yemen is expected this week.
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