The United States now wants to know the social-media user names of
people applying for visas as part of stepped up screening of foreign
visitors and immigrants.
The change, which was first announced last year and taking effect this
month, follows on a 2017 order by President Donald Trump requiring
heightened vetting for visa applicants, according to a State
Department official.
An estimated 14 million travellers and 710,000 immigrants to the U.S.
each year will be affected by the changes, according to notes in the
Federal Register. The official said national security is the top
priority and every would-be traveller or immigrant already faced
screening, including requirements to list their travel history, family
member information, and previous addresses.
The American Civil Liberties Union had opposed the proposal, arguing
the questions would create “an environment ripe for profiling and
discrimination.”
