chawkins99

Apparently, an internal policy at DHS forbade it!

Agents reportedly blocked by secret US policy from looking at social media of visa applicants | Fox News

hungryhorace

And rightly so. It would be operating completely outside the INA. Maybe if the US bothered stopping people being allowed to buy guns this massacre wouldn't have happened. But that would be silly, right? I've lost any sympathy for America and its gun violence problem; no one in power gives a shit. It's disgusting.

sir_eccles

Sure it's forbidden, I guess they must not do it then...

Firstly we know they at least read BE. Secondly Snowden says they do. Thirdly one could be sounding a little paranoid here but that could be misinformation to make those of interest not worry too much.

Pulaski

My employer also forbids looking at LinkedIn and Farcebook pages of potential recruits.

hungryhorace

Snowden says the spooks do, even then it's not directly targetting social media per se; it's a huge data collection that they attempt to sort through via algorithms. That's a LONG way from a USCIS staffer - or a developed algorithm - conducting a 'social media' check.

..and even if they did do it, under what grounds could they deny someone a visa or a successful adjustment? 'Your facebook page said things we disagree with'. Come on...

sir_eccles

Hey, I don't need to defend what they do. They can do whatever they want and probably don't need to give a detailed reason why a visa was denied. A blanket "national security" reason would probably suffice.

What I would expect to see is more and more applications being placed in longer and longer "administrative processing".

It also goes back to what I always say when people on here ask "do you think they know about...". Always assume they know about what you are trying to hide from them.

hungryhorace

Fair points.

Steve_

Given that they can't even figure out that Ted Kennedy is not the same guy as the guy on the no-fly list, I can't see that they'd be able to ID the correct person on social media either, so this seems destined for the scrapheap of silliness that is US paranoia about immigrants.

hungryhorace

Exactly. It's a completely ridiculous proposition; unworkable, unfair and impractical.

Steve_

Remember that couple who were denied entry because they were going to a concert in L.A. and said they were going to "destroy" it on Twitter.

scrubbedexpat091

It would have still happened. Those 2 were going to do it one way or another.

bewildering

Family-based visa terrorists will kill more people in the USA. These visas are the easiest way into the USA, it is common knowledge. Then the US will react and Fiancee or marriage based visas will be restricted.

hungryhorace

Both were using their real names. Rookie error.

hungryhorace

What complete and utter bullshit.

hungryhorace

They wouldn't have been able to do it if their matey boy friend hadn't have purchased assault weapons for them.