The Department of Homeland Security has said visa applicants could be asked to hand over their social media passwords and if they refuse, they could be barred from entering the United States.
The move which hasn’t been implemented so far, is a part of the Trump Administration’s efforts to screen visitors from seven Muslim-majority countries.
US president Donald Trump’s controversial 90-day travel ban on travellers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen has been frozen following a court order.
DHS Secretary John Kelly told the Homeland Security Committee that the department is looking at “enhanced or some additional screening” of the people from these seven countries who are “very hard to vet” in their own countries, , Fox News reported.
He said the authorities will check what websites they have been visiting and their activities on the internet will be checked.
"These are the things we are thinking about. But over there we can ask them for this kind of information and if they truly want to come to America, then they will cooperate. If not, next in line," he said.
Secretary Kelly sought to clarify that though the move isn’t yet in place, but it’s on its way.
Defending President Trump’s executive order on the temporary travel ban, he said it was necessary and appropriate.
“It will enable us to assess the adequacy and availability of information we need from all countries to adjudicate all visa applications.”
He also said the ban order should have been delayed to allow time to prepare for its execution and informing the Congress.
A federal district court judge in Washington suspended the order and the Trump administration’s appeal is before the Supreme Court now.
