Just about every millennial has heard someone say, “watch what you post on social media, you never know who’s watching.” That’s true — unless you’re an immigrant applying for a visa.
In that case, post whatever you want because Homeland Security isn’t looking.
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ABC News reported that DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson decided not to end a secret government policy that banned immigration officials from looking at visa applicants’ social media posts.
Johnson was hesitant from looking at social media posts because of a backlash by civil liberties activists.
“It was primarily a question of optics,”John Cohen, a former acting under-secretary at DHS for intelligence and analysis said. “There were concerns from a privacy and civil liberties perspective that while this was not illegal, that it would be viewed negatively if it was disclosed publicly.”
A DHS spokesman said that the agency began reviewing some social media posts in the fall of 2014 but according to several officials it is still not a wide spread practice.
Several politicians including Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) are demanding that social media be reviewed in every case especially after it was learned that Tashfeen Malik, one of the San Bernardino shooters, posted a message on Facebook declaring allegiance to the ISIS.
Despite the demand for change, DHS spokeswoman Marsha Catron has insisted that privacy protection and civil liberties are their top concern.
Obviously no one told anyone at the agency that those constitutional protections are for American citizens, not foreigners trying to come into America.
