Social Media
& Online Identity.

DHS has social media screening programs. Immigration applications now require social media disclosures. Posts from years ago are being used in enforcement actions. This guide shows you what investigators can see and how to reduce your exposure — without disappearing from the internet entirely.

• 01What DHS social media screening programs actually look for — and what keywords trigger flags
• 02How investigators build a profile from your posts, likes, and connections without subpoenaing anything
• 03Metadata: what your photos, posts, and messages reveal beyond what you wrote
• 04The immigration application trap — what social media disclosures are now required and what can be used against you
• 05How to audit your existing accounts: what to delete, what to lock, and what to leave alone
• 06Screen name hygiene: connecting aliases back to real identity and how to prevent it
• 07What gets preserved even after you delete it — and where those records live
• 08The step-by-step exposure reduction checklist for Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and LinkedIn