US to vet social media of foreign journalists applying for visas, report says

The U.S. State Department is set to scrutinize the social media activity of foreign journalists seeking visas to work in the United States, according to a recent media report. The conservative news outlet The Daily Signal cited an internal memo detailing this new initiative.

This policy appears to be an expansion of a screening process introduced during the Trump administration, which mandated that applicants for many visa types make their social media accounts public for review. The reported memo indicates that this vetting process is now being extended to include foreign media representatives.

Furthermore, the screening will now encompass applicants for certain worker visas originating from Canada and Mexico. While the White House and State Department's official X accounts shared a link to the article, the State Department declined to confirm the specifics, citing a policy against commenting on "purported internal documents." A spokesperson did state that the department utilizes "online presence vetting" to ensure applicant eligibility.

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online presence vetting