The US Embassy in Monrovia says all applicants' social media accounts will be screened and approved prior to their trip.
summary:
The US Embassy in Monrovia has ordered visa applicants to release their social media profiles for screening and approval, and before the move, the move is part of a broader national security policy announced by the Trump administration. Social media analysts in Liberia will adjust their compatible environment and “avoid people tagging you with controversy or inappropriate content.”
Anthony Stevens, Senior Attorney General for New Story
The US Embassy in Monrovia has “required” all visa applicants from Liberia to “change their social media settings from the private sector to promote the necessary reviews to establish their identity and acceptability of the United States under US law.” The measure is part of a drastic new policy introduced last week by the Trump administration to strengthen “screening and reviewing visa applicants.”
The embassy said measures applied to “all individuals applying for F, M or J non-immigrant visas” have been applied. F Visa is a student. M visas are for professional students, I visas are for foreign media, and J visas are for cultural exchange. The Trump administration says the policy is intended to prevent hostile foreign officials from entering the country.
The Trump administration has announced broader policies than last week, but the embassy publicly referenced it on Tuesday only.
In a further statement Wednesday afternoon, the embassy said applicants should list all social media usernames or handles for all platforms they have used in their DS-160 visa applications over the past five years.
The embassy added that the applicant must “prove that the information in the visa application is true and that it is correct before signing it, signing it and submitting it.” He also warned that “omission of social media information could lead to future visa denials and ineligibility.”
The order has sparked concern among the Liberians. Liberians subscribe to social media platforms, but Facebook is the most dominant and popular. Social media analyst Ruth Gbatoe said it's important for people to be cautious about what they post or consume on social media.
“You can adjust your settings to avoid people who tag you with controversial or inappropriate content,” Gbatoe told FrontPage Africa/New Noratives in a WhatsApp message. “We recommend that Liberians switch to professional mode on Facebook. It will help you control visibility and optimize your professional branding profile. It's important to note that discrepancies in online behavior can raise some red flags.”
In January, Facebook stopped deleting inappropriate posts by users. The issue is that the new policy only reduces the absence of false comments, and critics do not fully protect against falsehood. Liberia does not have data protection laws to protect the use of personal information. However, the new US visa policy also applies to Liberian officials and the public. The Joseph Boachey-led government has enforced the national code of conduct laws that guide the conduct of civil servants. The office of the Liberian Ombudsman has already taken action against many people due to inappropriate comments. One of them was Anthony Kelley, vice minister of the Department of Presidential Affairs, who fined $2,000 earlier this year over comments against Liberian citizens.
Findry Khanga, a Liberian lawyer and head of the firm, said that although he had no “power to comment on foreign government policies,” it is “crucial for all government employees and citizens of the country to exercise appropriate attitudes at all times.”
“Our policy is that all individuals have a right to privacy, but they always have the right to say what is appropriate for a third party or themselves,” Khanga said in a front page Africa/New Story interview over the phone. “All statements, including your photos and statements you make, should be in line with the policies of the Liberian government.”
The story is a collaboration with a new story as part of the West African Justice Reporting Project. The funds were provided by the Swedish Embassy in Liberia. The donor had no comments on the story.
