OVER THE LINE

U.S. Now Seeking Social Media Info from Nearly All Visa Applicants

The change will affect nearly 15 million people applying for visas each year.

The U.S. State Department will now require about 15 million yearly applicants for visas to the United States submit details about their social media accounts, phone numbers, and prior email addresses. The change was proposed in March 2018 and recently took effect following approval of the application forms. “National security is our top priority when adjudicating visa applications, and every prospective traveler and immigrant to the United States undergoes extensive security screening,” the department told the Associated Press. “We are constantly working to find mechanisms to improve our screening processes to protect U.S. citizens, while supporting legitimate travel to the United States.”