LagosExplorer reports: The United States Mission in Nigeria has announced a new requirement compelling all visa applicants to disclose their social media handles used in the past five years.
In a statement posted on its official X account on Monday, the Mission explained that the information must be provided on the DS-160 visa application form. It warned that failure to truthfully list every social media name could lead to outright refusal of the visa and affect future applications.
“The United States Department of State requires visa applicants to provide all social media identifiers used within the last five years,” the notice read. “Applicants must certify that the information is accurate and complete before submission.”
The rule applies to both immigrant and non-immigrant visa categories, covering popular platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn and others. According to U.S. officials, the move is part of enhanced security checks aimed at preventing identity fraud and strengthening background reviews of applicants worldwide.
This latest policy follows similar vetting practices introduced by the U.S. State Department in recent years, reflecting Washington’s increasing reliance on digital footprints to assess security risks.