by Aimee Cartwright
Proving to be powerful tools for national security, Social Media Checks are modernising immigration practices all over the world – from Germany to Australia.
What role do Social Media Checks play in keeping countries secure, and how can we ensure these checks are ethical? Let’s explore this together.
How are Different Countries Incorporating Social Media into their Immigration Practices?
Social media has been integrated into the vetting process of immigration practices all over the world – improving accuracy and security.
Social Media Checks in the UK
In 2015, it was reported that the UK Home Office was checking certain visa applicants’ social media accounts, in line with the government’s counter-extremism strategies.
While this was not implemented as standard practice for all applicants, it introduced the concept of immigration officials using social media platforms as a vetting tool.
Social Media Checks in the US
Though US social media screening in immigration practices is far from new, it was formalised in 2019.
State Department regulations were updated to confirm most US Visa applicants would be required to submit their social media handles and five years’ worth of email addresses and phone numbers (1).
Social Media Checks in Australia
The 2016 Australian Home Affairs interim guidance document encourages officials to use information gathered from social media as inspiration for visa interview questions.
However, it also states that Australia social media screening results should not be assumed to be accurate, reliable and true (2).
Social Media Checks in Germany
Germany is set to analyse the social media of Schengen Visa applicants to assess the risk of visa fraud (3).
The ‘Handbook Visa Fraud: Preventive measures and repressive control approaches’ states that Germany social media screening for immigration will involve the investigation of users’:
- Content
- Membership of groups
- Job profiles
The Role of Social Media Checks in Immigration Practices
Immigration Social Media Checks add an additional layer of security to the vetting process, ensuring all immigrants are genuine and do not pose a threat to national security. These comprehensive checks look for evidence of:
Extremism
By investigating the groups an individual is affiliated with online, the interests they express, and the types of content they post, Social Intelligence Officers can identify signs of extremism on a visa applicant’s profile.
The infamous 2015 San Bernardino shooting highlights the significance of Social Media Checks for detecting extremism. Attackers Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik (who had arrived in the US on a Fiancé Visa in 2014) had discussed martyrdom and jihad on Facebook prior to the terrorist attack (4).
If Social Media Checks had been integrated into US immigration practices at this time, it is possible that the attack could have been prevented.
Inconsistent Personal Information
The cross-referencing of data is another important use of social media in immigration practices.
If an applicant is presenting themselves differently online, such as identifying as one nationality but claiming another nationality on their application, officials can investigate this as a potential risk.
Criminal Backgrounds
In some cases, an applicant’s criminal record may appear to be clear, yet their online presence reveals that they do have a criminal background. Adverse Media Checks are particularly useful for this, as media articles frequently reference the individual’s name, age and location.
The Ethics of Immigration Social Media Checks
Immigration social media screening has been criticised due to concerns that accessing applicants’ profiles is unethical.
However, SP Index adheres to GDPR and all other country-specific legislation, such as CCPA (US), Privacy Act 1988 (Australia) and PIPEDA (Canada). As per the Equality Act 2010, protected characteristics, such as sex, religion or belief and disability, are not reported on unless risks are present.
Where compliant Social Media Checks are carried out for immigration purposes, the result is an ethical solution to protecting national security.
Conclusion
Social media is providing governments with valuable insights that strengthen security and mitigate immigration risks.
With ethical Social Media Checks in place, immigration officials can uncover public risks that may have previously escaped scrutiny – making immigration practices more secure than ever.
Contact Us
Get in touch with us to learn more about our expert Social Media Checks:
Telephone: +44 333 210 1688
Email: info@sp-index.com
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