The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is proposing a new rule that would require all applicants for American green cards and visas to reveal their social media handles.
Though the new initiative is to coming to strengthen security screening and to know if their views are in tandem with “American values,” civil rights groups are raising concerns around its breach of privacy aspect and the possible misuse of data.
According to TravelBiz, the proposed rule would affect various immigration forms, including applications for U.S. citizenship, asylum, and adjustments of status from an H-1B visa to a green card.
The proposal, which was published by the USCIS in the Federal Register, calls for members of the public to submit comments during 60 days.
It extends to immigration forms, including the N-400 for naturalization, the I-131 for advance parole, the I-485 for green card applications, and the I-589 for asylum.
Additionally, those applying for refugee status and others who submit petitions for conditional residency removal are included in the initiative.
The development is also part of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) efforts to enhance security vetting through more detailed background checks.
However, Immigration Attorney Jonathan Wasden, said: “It remains unclear how USCIS will interpret posts, how long they will store data, or what guidelines they will use to flag concerns.
“There is also a risk that applicants could face denials based on online activity that is taken out of context.”
