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Trump Administration Sued Over Social Media Screening for Visa Applicants
New York Times ^ | December 5, 2019 | Charlie Savage

Posted on 12/06/2019 5:24:44 AM PST by karpov

WASHINGTON — A pair of documentary film organizations sued the Trump administration on Thursday over its requirement that foreigners disclose their social media accounts — including pseudonymous ones — when they apply for visas.

The lawsuit, which raises novel issues about privacy and surveillance in the social-media era, challenged a rule the State Department put into effect this year. The requirement grew out of President Trump’s campaign promise of “extreme vetting” and his early executive orders that barred travel into the United States from several Muslim-majority nations.

In particular, the lawsuit argues, forcing people from authoritarian countries to disclose the pseudonyms they use to discuss politically sensitive matters could endanger them by creating a risk that the information gets back to their own governments. As a result, it said, they will be less likely either to express themselves on social media or to apply for visas.

“Many people use pseudonyms on social media so that they can speak anonymously about sensitive or controversial issues, and so that they can shield themselves or their families or associates from possible reprisals by state or private actors,” the plaintiffs wrote. “The registration requirement effectively conditions their eligibility for U.S. visas on their readiness to surrender their online anonymity.”

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Government; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: antisemites; immigration; islamonazism; jihadinamerica; nationalsecurity; proterrorist; socialistnetworking; waronterror; wot
We should find out if prospective visitors to the U.S. have been promoting terrorism on Facebook, Twitter etc.
1 posted on 12/06/2019 5:24:44 AM PST by karpov
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To: karpov

The foreign visitors always have the option of not visiting the US.


2 posted on 12/06/2019 5:32:11 AM PST by captain_dave
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To: karpov

If employers can screen applicants based on social media posts, and political careers (of conservatives anyway) can be ruined by them, why should potential immigrants be exempt from the same scrutiny?


3 posted on 12/06/2019 5:37:09 AM PST by IronJack
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To: karpov
We should find out if prospective visitors to the U.S. have been promoting terrorism on Facebook, Twitter etc.

We should also find out if they are socialist or communist as well.

4 posted on 12/06/2019 5:41:56 AM PST by outpostinmass2
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To: karpov

What utter bull-shiite.

Prospective immigrants should be given a background check that would make a proctologist’s eyes water. Anything that looks even a tiny bit wonky and the immigrant earns a trip back to where they came from.

No exceptions. We have well over our quota of human sewage already here from sh!th*le places around the globe. Why import more?


5 posted on 12/06/2019 5:54:10 AM PST by ByteMercenary (Healthcare Insurance is *NOT* a Constitutional right.)
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To: karpov

But Adam Schiff getting the phone records of a fellow congressman and a journalist is no problem at all...


6 posted on 12/06/2019 5:59:05 AM PST by ManHunter (You can run, but you'll only die tired... Army snipers: Reach out and touch someone)
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To: karpov

What about MasterCard and American Express???


7 posted on 12/06/2019 6:05:25 AM PST by gov_bean_ counter (Trump didnÂ’t want an AG, he wanted a consigliere.)
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To: karpov

Many employers require applicants to disclose their social media accounts and they do look at the applicants postings. I believe I recently saw an article about a lib business owner that said he would NOT hire any Republican or Conservative applicants and would use their social media accounts to check up on them.


8 posted on 12/06/2019 6:25:35 AM PST by The Louiswu (MAGAa)
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To: karpov

So foreigners set the standards for US immigration laws?

FU plaintiffs. You have NO standing.


9 posted on 12/06/2019 6:51:26 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
My thoughts exactly. How do these guys have any standing in this. Shouldn't last long in the courts.
10 posted on 12/06/2019 8:34:57 AM PST by Seattle
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To: karpov

Interesting that they’re courageous enough to challenge the rules of this country but cowards when it comes to confronting the rules of their own country.


11 posted on 12/06/2019 9:06:24 AM PST by SteveinSATX (Anti-liberalism 24/7)
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