U.S. Visa Applicants Must Reveal Five-Year Social Media History Under New Security Screening Rules

The United States government has launched a new visa policy under which applicants, including Nigerians, are to disclose all social media handles or usernames they have used over the past five years. The directive is for immigrant and non-immigrant visa applicants and is to be completed on the DS-160 or DS-260 application forms.

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria stated the move is part of enhanced national security measures to broaden identity verification and background checks. The applicants must submit all social media handles they've ever had, including on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube. No passwords are required, but not reporting or providing false information can result in visa denial or even future ineligibility under U.S. immigration law.

The policy, instituted globally in 2019, has faced renewed criticism following the latest update for student and exchange visitor visas. Those applicants are now being asked to alter privacy settings to allow U.S. authorities access during processing.

While the U.S. Department of State explains the rule as an added security measure, there are some privacy and freedom of expression concerns on the part of civil liberties organizations. Regardless, the embassy reaffirms that full disclosure is mandatory and visa applicants must swear to the truthfulness of what they submit.

Prospective travelers are advised to maintain a full record of the last five years of their social media history to avoid complications in the visa application.