Social media accounts are extensions of ourselves. Your social media account can reveal a map of your family and friends; a catalogue of your personal preferences and political views; and a comprehensive diary of your thoughts and speech. Social media surveillance threatens your rights to speak freely and live without fear of constant government scrutiny.

During the campaign for the Federal Elections 2025 in Canada, saw four candidates—three Conservatives and one Liberal – being dropped from the race over their controversial social media comments.

• Liberal candidate Paul Chiang announced he was withdrawing his re-election bid in the riding of Markham-Unionville over comments he made in the past about a Conservative candidate.
• Conservative Party dropped Mark McKenzie, who was running to represent the riding of Windsor after an audio recording of a 2022 podcast appearance in which McKenzie voiced his support for public hangings.
• Third candidate to leave the race was Stefan Marquis, a Conservative Party candidate from the riding of Laurier—Sainte-Marie. He said a party representative informed him that his recent social media posts were sufficient reason to end the political collaboration with the Conservatives.
• The Conservatives dropped Lourence Singh, the party’s candidate for Burnaby riding of British Columbia without elaborating any reasons behind his departure.

Social Media Monitoring in Canada for Immigrants

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) routinely compare information provided in applications with what’s available in the applicant’s public domain, especially social media. If there are discrepancies between the application information and what can be found on the web, this could be grounds for refusal

If discrepancies are found, it can lead to application refusal and potentially a ban from traveling to Canada for up to five years. As a Canadian immigration applicant, any information can be used as evidence of the accuracy or inaccuracy of your application.

Misrepresentation is a serious offence and difficult to overcome. Immigration officers are strict about misrepresentation and a finding could result in an application being refused. Misrepresentation on immigration applications can also have severe consequences beyond your application refusal and may:

• Forbid you from entering Canada for at least 5 years;
• Give you a permanent record of fraud;
• Take away your status as permanent resident or Canadian citizen;
• Have you charged with a crime; or
• Remove you from Canada.

It is important that applicants submit information that is entirely accurate and complete. Applicants should double check all information provided to make sure it is correct and remains consistent throughout the application.

The key to avoiding misrepresentation is to disclose all relevant information, even if you think it might negatively impact your chances of being approved. It is better to address potential issues directly in an application and provide supporting documents to explain them.

Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) was developed by IRCC (AI based) to assess a candidate’s social media activities. Social media monitoring includes online public communications, forum discussions and social media activity.

An immigration applicant may meticulously complete all paperwork with the best of intentions, but if they forget to include a key piece of information that is available elsewhere on the internet, it could look like a deliberate omission to the immigration office.

Social Media Monitoring in the US

Social media has become a significant source of information for US law enforcement and intelligence agencies for purposes ranging from conducting investigations to screening travelers. A person’s social media presence can reveal an astounding amount of personal information: beliefs, professional and personal networks, health conditions, sexuality, and more.

You leave a digital footprint on the internet, a trail of information while browsing the web or posting on social media. It may haunt you when you apply for a visitor visa, student visa, immigrant visa etc. One post, like or comment on social media could lead to an arrest, deportation or denial of citizenship. On March 27, 2025, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio estimated that he had signed perhaps more than 300 letters revoking the visas of students, visitors and others to force their expulsion from the US because of their foreign policy views or criminal activities.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on March 5, 2025, mandated that the social media accounts of travelers and immigrants coming into the US be used to vet them upon entry, as well as to monitor them while they live in the US, to determine whether they pose a security risk. Immigrants now got to provide social media information on their immigration applications.

If you have your children, siblings, spouse, relatives or friends living in foreign countries, your social media comments and forwards may prove harmful for them.