Department of Homeland Security Proposes Expansion of Social Media Disclosure Requirements

On September 4, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a proposal to collect social media user identifications in order to “assess an alien’s eligibility to travel to or be admitted to the United States or to receive an immigration-related benefit from DHS.” This change would be an expansion of the recent change to the DS-160 requirements and would affect foreign nationals submitting certain applications for immigration benefits to USCIS. This proposal includes all social media platforms that have been made publicly available for the last 5 years. According to the department, it will provide DHS personnel with more visibility of publicly available information and can help “identify potential deception, fraud, and previously unidentified national security or law enforcement concerns.”