Washington : The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a sweeping new policy that will require mandatory social media vetting for all tourist visa applicants starting in 2026, expanding what was once limited to high-risk countries. The move aims to counter what officials describe as rising “ideological threats” identified through online activity.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the system will use AI-powered automated screening tools to scan platforms such as Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube for indicators of extremism, coordinated disinformation, or violent intent. The program is expected to process over 80 million visa applications and border entries each year, making it the largest digital-behavior screening effort in U.S. immigration history.
The plan has immediately polarized policymakers and civil liberties advocates. The ACLU’s Hina Shamsi blasted the expansion as a “massive erosion of privacy” that risks chilling free expression worldwide, while tech ethicist Timnit Gebru warned that AI-driven threat detection often reproduces racial, linguistic, and political bias.
Supporters—including former President Donald Trump, who praised the rollout as part of his “smart borders” doctrine—argue that social media vetting has already helped disrupt extremist recruitment and several planned attacks.
The State Department anticipates visa processing delays could rise by 40%, citing increased data-analysis workloads and the need for new human review teams to evaluate algorithmic red flags.
Immigration attorneys say the new vetting rules could reshape global travel patterns, complicating tourism and student mobility while deepening debates around digital privacy and national security.
