These references outline the numerous valid concerns related the use of social media monitoring and its lack of value from a national security perspective to date. On May 29, 2018, the American Immigration Lawyers Association joined privacy, civil rights, civil liberties and immigrants’ rights organizations in a joint comment opposing the Department of State’s social media collection proposed regulations concerning visa applicants citing First Amendment and privacy concerns among others. In addition, the algorithms applied by agency in social media monitoring were found to be susceptible to bias. It is important to consider this change in light of a recent study published by the Brennan Center for Justice on May 22, 2019, entitled, “Social Media Monitoring: How the Department of Homeland Security Uses Digital Data in the Name of National Security.” This study outlines how even the Department of Homeland Security concluded that its five social media monitoring programs piloted in 2016 were largely ineffective in identifying threats to national security. These platforms are all listed in the new form revisions. Finally, Ask.FM, a question-and-answer platform based in Latvia was also included.

In addition, Twoo was included, which was created in Belgium. The Russian social network listed was: Vkonttakte (VK). The Chinese sites noted were: Douban, Qzone (QQ), Sina Weibo, Tencent Weibo, and Youku.

Most were based in the United States such as: Facebook, Flickr, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Myspace, Pinterest, Reddit, Tumblr, Twitter, Vine, and YouTube. The proposal covered 20 social media platforms. The Federal Register notices regarding these changes were published as to the DS-160 in March of 2018 ( 83 Fed. A screen shot of the question is inserted below.Īrticles about this phenomenon circulated last March based on an announcement by the Trump administration that would affect approximately 14 million nonimmigrant visa applicants and 710,000 immigrant visa applicants. This week, applicants have started experiencing a new question on the form related to their social media presence. Applicants for immigrant and nonimmigrant visas must use the Department of State’s Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) to complete on-line forms for nonimmigrant (DS-160) or immigrant (DS-260) visas.

Immigration ds 260 form