US to vet social media of foreign journalists applying for visas, report says

The US State Department will vet the social media accounts of foreign journalists applying for visas to work in the United States, according to a report in the conservative news outlet The Daily Signal.

The report cites an internal memo that said an initiative by President Donald Trump‘s administration that requires applicants for many visa types to make their social media accounts public for screening was being expanded to include foreign media representatives.

Applicants for another type of visa for workers from Canada and Mexico also will now be included in the screening, it said.

The White House and the State Department’s official accounts on X share a link to the article, but the State Department declines to confirm the specifics of the report, citing a policy of not commenting on “purported internal documents.”

A State Department spokesperson says that what the department calls “online presence vetting” is used to ensure that applicants are eligible for a visa under US law.

“The Department of State is screening and vetting to the maximum extent possible every foreign national seeking admission to the United States to ensure they will respect US law including the terms of their admission and do not pose a threat to US security, public safety or national interests,” the spokesperson said.

“Officers use a variety of methods to make informed decisions that protect national security, prevent fraud and ensure a thorough review of applicants,” the spokesperson adds.

It is unclear when the reported new policy would take effect.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has said it will screen the social media posts of immigrants and visa applicants, including for what it deems antisemitic content and “anti-Americanism.” The administration has canceled the visas of foreign students in the United States who engaged in pro-Palestinian activism, in some cases attempting to deport those students.