As the Trump administration rolls out stricter visa policies and expands online surveillance, many international students are cleaning up their digital profiles, some even deleting social media accounts altogether. The growing fear is that past online posts could hurt their chances of getting a US visa.

Owolabi, a Nigerian student accepted into the University of New Haven for a master’s in cybersecurity, has been carefully deleting tweets and comments about U.S. politics. He’s especially concerned about older posts related to former President Donald Trump’s 2018 remark about “[expletive] countries” in Africa.

“I don’t know what to write on Facebook or X now that won’t put me in trouble. It feels like someone is watching my every move,” he said.

Owolabi, who asked to be identified only by his last name, was about to schedule his visa interview at the U.S. embassy in Abuja when he learned that appointments had been paused. This came after the Trump administration announced it would review the process and begin more strict checks of students’ social media histories.

Each year, around 50,000 students from sub-Saharan Africa head to the U.S. for higher studies. In 2024 alone, nearly 20,000 Nigerian students enrolled in American colleges, the highest number from the African continent.

The U.S. remains a popular destination for its world-class universities and work opportunities after graduation. But now, students like Owolabi fear that their social media activity could become a barrier to achieving their academic goals.

In May, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio directed embassies to stop scheduling new student visa interviews, stating the government would now take a closer look at applicants’ online behavior.

This is part of an immigration crackdown by the administration, which includes revoking student visas and increasing deportations. Even top universities haven’t been spared. Earlier this month, a federal judge temporarily blocked Trump from stopping international students from entering the U.S. to study or join exchange programs at Harvard.

Since 2019, most U.S. visa applicants have had to provide their social media usernames for platforms like Facebook and X. Digital rights advocates say this policy raises serious privacy concerns and can lead to misinterpretations.

“We’ve seen how even social media companies, mostly U.S.-based, misinterpret posts. What this means is that attempts at humor or political critique can be unfairly flagged as security threats,” said Ms. El-Usman, a digital rights expert.

Some fear that this increased scrutiny could cause young people around the world to stop expressing their views online. Mojirayo Ogunlana, executive director of Nigeria’s DiGiCiVic Initiative, says the risk of being misunderstood online is very real.

“If someone in a moment of anger says, ‘Why is America supporting Israel?’ and they post that on X or Facebook, does that mean they are a terrorist? Or that they are a national security threat? Is that a legitimate reason to deny them visas?” she asked.

According to Ogunlana, many now feel pressured to post only content that aligns with U.S. political or religious values just to stay safe for future visa applications.

“This has a chilling effect on freedom of expression,” she said, adding that youth, who often use social media to raise awareness about social issues, are becoming afraid to speak up.

“Knowing that a foreign government might review their tweets or Instagram stories would lead to self-censorship,” Ms. El-Usman added. “It encourages the idea that being authentic about your thoughts is risky and forces potential visa applicants and asylum seekers to conform to a government agenda – the U.S in this case.”

Barbadian student Mr. Blackman, who lives in Bridgetown, received an email in May stating that his visa application was on administrative hold. Soon after, he deleted both his X and Facebook accounts.

Accepted into the University of Massachusetts for a master’s in pharmacy, Mr. Blackman says his classes begin in August, but he’s still waiting for news on his visa. He remains worried about his past blog posts in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, which are still publicly available.

“The internet gave young people like me a voice to speak about racism and police brutality. Now, I feel silenced and monitored,” he said.

This report is based on inputs from Reuters.

 

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