US extends social media screening to foreign journalists seeking visas

This move is part of a broader tightening of US immigration policy. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt shared the Daily Signal article on X, which reported on the extension of this procedure to new categories of visas for foreign nationals. The US administration is also preparing to limit the duration of stay for foreign students and journalists by setting a fixed admission period for student and journalist visa holders.

The State Department intends to use all available information sources when reviewing and verifying visa applications to identify individuals who may be denied entry, including those posing a threat to national or public security. This rigorous screening standard is applied consistently to all visa applicants, with every visa decision fundamentally linked to national security. Previously, enhanced online profile screening applied to several visa categories, including foreign students and cultural exchange participants, who were required to make their social media profiles public for review by US authorities.

This measure will now be extended to foreign journalists and certain Mexican and Canadian nationals. The State Department emphasizes that obtaining a US visa is a privilege granted at the government's discretion, not a right. This expansion of social med