US Immigration Officials Propose Expanding Social Media Surveillance

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has proposed a new policy requiring individuals applying for immigration benefits, such as green cards and citizenship, to provide their social media handles. This initiative, part of President Trump's executive order aimed at enhancing national security, has raised concerns among immigration and free speech advocates about increased government surveillance. The proposal is currently open for public comment until May 5 and seeks to implement 'uniform vetting standards' that would affect approximately 3.6 million applicants annually. Critics, including civil rights groups, warn that using social media data, especially analyzed through AI tools, could lead to privacy violations and misjudgments in immigration decisions. Past practices of social media monitoring by immigration officials have already been in place since the Obama administration, but this new proposal extends surveillance to individuals already in the U.S. legally. Experts emphasize the need for careful consideration of the implications of integrating AI into such high-stakes decisions.