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U.S. will scour foreign student's social media

By: Francesc Chambers
USA Today

WASHINGTON - international students applying for visas to study in the United States will be subjected to stricter social media screening moving forward, the trump administration said.
..... Their entire Online presence will be reviewed, including their social media activity, during the visa application process for indications of hostility toward the country's citizens, culture, government, institutions and democratic principles.
..... The State Department made the announcement June 18, [2025] following the release of a leaked guidance in May [2025] that singled the changes were coming.
..... Secretary of State Marco Rubio told embassies in late May [2025] about the enhanced social media vetting protocols as he halted new student visa application interviews.
..... The added screening initially applied to students who applied to Harvard, a university with which the administration has been fighting over allegation of antisemitism. But in a message outlined the new screening process that was leaked to multiple outlets in May, [2025] Rubio said the review process was intended to serve as a pilot program.
..... At the time, the State Department said it has required visa applicants to provide social media identifiers since 2019 and that it continuously vets all visa holders for the duration of their stay.
..... In a statement announcing the resumption of the interviews and the new Online screening policy on June 18, [2025] the State Department said that under new guidance, consulate officers will be conduction a comprehensive and through vesting of all students and exchange visitors applicants.
..... Under these guidelines, visa applicants will be asked to make their social media profiles accessible. Falling to do so could be interpreted as an intent to hid activity or evade the policy and could lead to rejection, the administration signaled.
..... The administration previously yanked, and then reinstated, visas at an array of universities for more than 4,700 students this spring. [2025]
..... The removal than 100 lawsuits, and many visa cancellations were blocked in court.

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