You Shouldn't Have to Make Social Media Public to Get a Visa

“The government may interpret lack of social media activity or refusal to unlock accounts as an attempt to evade the requirement or deliberately hide online activity.”

The State Department now requires visa applicants to make all social media accounts public for government review. Not having social media counts as suspicious. Internal cables direct embassies to screen for “hostile attitudes towards our citizens, culture, government” and flag “political activism.” This forces domestic violence survivors, LGBTQ+ people in hostile countries, and journalists to blow their cover or be denied entry. It is a surveillance program dressed up as a vetting process.