By Catherine B. Nyenkan
MONROVIA, June 3 (LINA) – The United States Government through its State Department has introduced a new policy in which visa applicants will be required to submit social media account information they (applicants) have used for the past five years.
According to the New York Times, such account information would give the US Government access to photos, locations, dates of birth or milestones and other personal data commonly shared on social media.
“We already request certain contact information, travel history, family members information and previous address from all visa applicants; we are constantly working to find mechanisms to improve our screening processes to protect US citizens while supporting legitimate travel to the United States,” The New York Times quotes the US State Department as saying.
The latest move by the State Department represents a step up from a September 2017 measure in which the Homeland Security Department proposed and enacted a regulation calling for the surveillance of social media use of all immigrants, including naturalized citizens, the New York Times stated
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