Foreign students scrub social media as US expands visa vetting

Owolabi, 23, got a place at the University of New Haven in Connecticut for a master's degree in cybersecurity this year, but with the Trump administration pausing student visa appointments ahead of new social media vetting guidelines, he is worried.

"I don't know what to write on Facebook or X now that won't put me in trouble. It feels like someone is watching my every move," he said.

Owolabi, who only wanted to be identified by his last name for fear of repercussions, was about to schedule a visa interview at the U.S embassy in the capital Abuja when he heard about the appointment pause for all applicants.

Around 50,000 students from sub-Saharan Africa come to the United States every year to study, though China and India send many more.

Around 20,000 Nigerian students went to study at U.S. colleges in 2024 - the highest number from Africa. The United States is a top destination for international students because of the post-degree career opportunities.

In May, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed embassies to stop scheduling new visa appointments, saying the Trump administration would review the process and expand vetting of students' social media profiles.

The directive is part of a broader crackdown on international students with the administration seeking to revoke visas, and increasing deportations of international students.

The U.S. administration has also taken aim at elite universities, notably Harvard. In early June, a federal judge temporarily blocked Trump from barring U.S. entry of foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in exchange programmes at the Ivy League school.

The policies on foreign students are part of a broader immigration crackdown, which the White House says aims to tighten borders and enhance national security.

UNWARRANTED DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE

Since 2019, most U.S. visa applicants have been required to disclose their social media identifiers, such as their Facebook or X handles.

But Rubio's announcement marks an escalation of the scrutiny applicants will face and raises questions about digital surveillance and the data privacy of applicants, according to digital rights lawyers.

They argue that the level of scrutiny that appears to be under consideration could set a dangerous precedent for digital surveillance in immigration processes.

While details about the new procedures have yet to be revealed, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the United States was prepared to use "every tool" to vet anyone who wanted to enter the country.

Scrutinising visa applicants' social media activities as part of the immigration process blurs the line between legitimate security concerns and unwarranted digital surveillance, said Khadijah El-Usman, a digital rights lawyer from Paradigm Initiative, a pan-African social enterprise.

El-Usman said profiling applicants based on their online activity meant innocuous posts on X or Facebook might be misinterpreted, and applicants could be denied visas based on opinions or political jokes.

"We've seen how even social media companies, mostly U.S.-based, misinterpret posts. What this means is that attempts at humour or political critique can be unfairly flagged as security threats," El-Usman said.

'CHILLING EFFECT'

Digital rights campaigners warned the U.S. move could prompt other countries to normalise digital surveillance as part of immigration processes.

If that happens, all social media users are at risk of being wrongly profiled, said Mojirayo Ogunlana, executive director of Nigeria-based DiGiCiVic Initiative.

"If someone in a moment of anger says, 'Why is America supporting Israel?' and they post that on X or Facebook, does that mean they are a terrorist? Or that they are a national security threat? Is that a legitimate reason to deny them visas?" Ogunlana said.

She said people would increasingly self-censor online by sharing content that aligned with the religious and political ideologies of the U.S government in case they needed to apply for visas.

This has a "chilling effect on freedom of expression" globally, she said adding that young people, who use social media to express frustrations and draw the world's attention to specific causes, will be afraid to do so.

"Knowing that a foreign government might review their tweets or Instagram stories would lead to self-censorship," El-Usman said.

"It encourages the idea that being authentic about your thoughts is risky and forces potential visa applicants and asylum seekers to conform to a government agenda - the U.S in this case."

Barbadian student Blackman, who lives in the capital Bridgetown and also only wanted to give his last name, said he deleted his X and Facebook accounts after receiving an email in May saying his visa application was on administrative hold.

Blackman, 20, who has been accepted for a master's degree in pharmacy at the University of Massachusetts, said classes start in August, but he has yet to hear back about his application.

He has deleted his social media accounts, but is worried about his blog posts in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States as they are still visible online.

"The internet gave young people like me a voice to speak about racism and police brutality. Now, I feel silenced and monitored," Blackman said.