Nearly all people applying for US visas will have to submit their social media details from the past five years under new State Department regulations.
The new visa application form lists a number of platforms in a drop-down menu, including Facebook, Reddit, YouTube, Tumblr, Instagram and Twitter, and asks applicants to select each platform they have used in the past five years.
"In the space next to the platform's name, enter the username or handle you have used," the form reads.
The US State Department said the update, which was initially announced in 2018, will improve national security screenings.
The new visa application form. Source: Greg Siskind
"We are constantly working to find mechanisms to improve our screening processes to protect US citizens, while supporting legitimate travel to the United States," a State Department spokesperson said.
"Collecting this additional information from visa applicants will strengthen our process for vetting these applicants and confirming their identity."
The change is reportedly expected to affect close to 15 million foreigners who apply to enter the US each year, with only certain diplomatic and official type visas exempt from the rule.
Previously, social media information had only been collected from people who warranted additional security vetting.
The new regulations are expected to affect close to 15 million people each year. Source: Press Association
When the plan was first announced in March last year, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called the plan "ineffective and deeply problematic".
"It will infringe on the rights of immigrants and US citizens by chilling freedom of speech and association, particularly because people will now have to wonder if what they say online will be misconstrued or misunderstood by a government official," the ACLU said.
With AAP
