The Homeland Security Department is using fake social media accounts to run background checks on people hoping to settle in the U.S., though at least one social media company plans to fight the practice.
Under the updated policy, U.S. Customs and Immigration Services can create “fictitious accounts or identities” to access social media accounts of people applying for green cards, citizenship, work visas and other immigration benefits. Officers may also collect information on any other individuals associated with the applicant as long as it’s “reasonably relevant” to the investigation, the agency said in a privacy impact assessment released Friday.
Beyond background checks, officers are also permitted to use fake profiles to investigate potential fraud and study broader trends in immigration and the vetting process.