So an applicant with dangerous people in their life, maybe an abusive family member or a stalker ex, is forced to expose their accounts they would otherwise keep private. That's the first bad-case scenario that comes to mind, I'm sure there are more.

I propose a new rule - if so for me, then so for thee. Anything imposed on legal applicants is also imposed on the lawmakers who put it in place.

Ah damn, I was a state actor who was going to smuggle in sleeper agents to perform sabotage and espionage in the US, but I can't figure out how to create a fake social media profile. I admit defeat.

What the hell, I went to check the official website for my embassy and this is true??

Yet another reason not to study there. Ideological screening, what a joke.

make social media private

say "i don't have social media"

problem solved.

Trash country continues circling the drain.

Remember folks, always vote against Republicans in the most likely manner to prevent them from having any level of power.

This will be a boon for stalkers.

What happens if you don't have any social media? I haven't posted under my name on anything in a decade...

“Yeah, I don’t have one. Cheers.”

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"I don't use social media and never have."

So what are they going to do if someone fires back with this? Deny their visa because they didn't agree to be spied on by a few of the worst companies on planet fucking earth? Is the government going to be able to somehow make me prove that I don't have social media?

We have the stupidest people in charge right now.

well, have burner social media accounts as well

Why the hell would anyone apply for a visa to come here?

Imagine a country, they spent billions over the last two centuries to build influence and they got to the top. Foreigners are willing to pay thousands of dollars for getting a degree in such country but no, let them go to a different country and get influenced by somebody else

That country want to be alone, so leave them alone!

You know, when I got my current job, the people in my department said"we tried to find your Facebook but couldn't" and I said 'yeah that's because I don't have one."

13 years later, still don't.

Though honestly even our work teams chat would probably be too spicy for these motherfuckers. They just want a pretext to keep out anybody. Like some law impossible to follow, that they can selectively enforce.

Hello ICE agents, let me walk you through my DeviantArt account. And here's my second DeviantArt account dedicated to the weird shit.

*social media accounts that they know of

It’s because the morons running the country don’t think that constitutional freedoms apply to non-citizens. No freedom of speech if your speech hurts their feelings. Fuckin aye

There are plenty of schools in Europe. There is no reason for essentially the equivalent of 1930s Jewish people to study in essentially Hitler's Germany in the 30s right when the smarter people were getting out.

Delete all social media problem solved

People are missing the point here. Its not about this being a valid strategy to catch anyone but its a fascist strategy to display who's in control over you when you come here.

Brain drain away!

Most based article from a Libertarian news site I've ever read.

Because it's completely impossible to create a fake account that worship trump and has a lot of maga posts

And what if I have Instagram but I don't publish anything on it? lol

Business idea: renting personalized, up to date, AI curated social media accounts with puppies and American flags only.

I'm surprised there still are student visa applicants

Land of the Free and Government Surveillance

Does China do this?