Latest news with #Owolabi
The Star
14 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
Foreign students scrub social media as US expands visa vetting
LAGOS: Nigerian student Owolabi has been meticulously scrubbing his X feed, deleting tweets and comments about US policies, especially those relating to then President Donald Trump's 2018 reference to '(expletive) countries' in Africa. Owolabi, 23, got a place at the University of New Haven in Connecticut for a master's degree in cybersecurity this year, but with the Trump administration pausing student visa appointments ahead of new social media vetting guidelines, he is worried. '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 only wanted to be identified by his last name for fear of repercussions, was about to schedule a visa interview at the US embassy in the capital Abuja when he heard about the appointment pause for all applicants. Around 50,000 students from sub-Saharan Africa come to the United States every year to study, though China and India send many more. Around 20,000 Nigerian students went to study at US colleges in 2024 – the highest number from Africa. The United States is a top destination for international students because of the post-degree career opportunities. In May, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed embassies to stop scheduling new visa appointments, saying the Trump administration would review the process and expand vetting of students' social media profiles. The directive is part of a broader crackdown on international students with the administration seeking to revoke visas, and increasing deportations of international students. The US administration has also taken aim at elite universities, notably Harvard. In early June, a federal judge temporarily blocked Trump from barring US entry of foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in exchange programmes at the Ivy League school. The policies on foreign students are part of a broader immigration crackdown, which the White House says aims to tighten borders and enhance national security. Unwarranted digital surveillance Since 2019, most US visa applicants have been required to disclose their social media identifiers, such as their Facebook or X handles. But Rubio's announcement marks an escalation of the scrutiny applicants will face and raises questions about digital surveillance and the data privacy of applicants, according to digital rights lawyers. They argue that the level of scrutiny that appears to be under consideration could set a dangerous precedent for digital surveillance in immigration processes. While details about the new procedures have yet to be revealed, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the United States was prepared to use 'every tool' to vet anyone who wanted to enter the country. Scrutinising visa applicants' social media activities as part of the immigration process blurs the line between legitimate security concerns and unwarranted digital surveillance, said Khadijah El-Usman, a digital rights lawyer from Paradigm Initiative, a pan-African social enterprise. El-Usman said profiling applicants based on their online activity meant innocuous posts on X or Facebook might be misinterpreted, and applicants could be denied visas based on opinions or political jokes. 'We've seen how even social media companies, mostly US-based, misinterpret posts. What this means is that attempts at humour or political critique can be unfairly flagged as security threats,' El-Usman said. 'Chilling effect' Digital rights campaigners warned the US move could prompt other countries to normalise digital surveillance as part of immigration processes. If that happens, all social media users are at risk of being wrongly profiled, said Mojirayo Ogunlana, executive director of Nigeria-based DiGiCiVic Initiative. '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?' Ogunlana said. She said people would increasingly self-censor online by sharing content that aligned with the religious and political ideologies of the US government in case they needed to apply for visas. This has a 'chilling effect on freedom of expression' globally, she said adding that young people, who use social media to express frustrations and draw the world's attention to specific causes, will be afraid to do so. 'Knowing that a foreign government might review their tweets or Instagram stories would lead to self-censorship,' El-Usman said. '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 US in this case.' Barbadian student Blackman, who lives in the capital Bridgetown and also only wanted to give his last name, said he deleted his X and Facebook accounts after receiving an email in May saying his visa application was on administrative hold. Blackman, 20, who has been accepted for a master's degree in pharmacy at the University of Massachusetts, said classes start in August, but he has yet to hear back about his application. He has deleted his social media accounts, but is worried about his blog posts in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States as they are still visible online. 'The Internet gave young people like me a voice to speak about racism and police brutality. Now, I feel silenced and monitored,' Blackman said. – Thomson Reuters Foundation
Japan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
Foreign students scrub social media as U.S. expands visa vetting
Nigerian student Owolabi has been meticulously scrubbing his X feed, deleting tweets and comments about U.S. policies. Owolabi, 23, got a place at the University of New Haven in Connecticut for a master's degree in cybersecurity this year, but with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump pausing student visa appointments ahead of new social media vetting guidelines, he is worried. "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 only wanted to be identified by his last name for fear of repercussions, was about to schedule a visa interview at the U.S embassy in the capital Abuja when he heard about the appointment pause for all applicants. Around 50,000 students from sub-Saharan Africa come to the United States every year to study, though China and India send many more. Around 20,000 Nigerian students went to study at U.S. colleges in 2024 — the highest number from Africa. The United States is a top destination for international students because of the post-degree career opportunities. In May, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed embassies to stop scheduling new visa appointments, saying the Trump administration would review the process and expand vetting of students' social media profiles. The directive is part of a broader crackdown on international students, with the administration seeking to revoke visas and increasing deportations of international students. The U.S. administration has also taken aim at elite universities, notably Harvard. In early June, a federal judge temporarily blocked Trump from barring U.S. entry of foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in exchange programs at the Ivy League school. The policies on foreign students are part of a broader immigration crackdown, which the White House says aims to tighten borders and enhance national security. Since 2019, most U.S. visa applicants have been required to disclose their social media identifiers, such as their Facebook or X handles. But Rubio's announcement marks an escalation of the scrutiny applicants will face and raises questions about digital surveillance and the data privacy of applicants, according to digital rights lawyers. They argue that the level of scrutiny that appears to be under consideration could set a dangerous precedent for digital surveillance in immigration processes. While details about the new procedures have yet to be revealed, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the United States was prepared to use "every tool" to vet anyone who wanted to enter the country. Scrutinizing visa applicants' social media activities as part of the immigration process blurs the line between legitimate security concerns and unwarranted digital surveillance, said Khadijah El-Usman, a digital rights lawyer from Paradigm Initiative, a pan-African social enterprise. El-Usman said profiling applicants based on their online activity meant innocuous posts on X or Facebook might be misinterpreted, and applicants could be denied visas based on opinions or political jokes. "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," El-Usman said. Digital rights campaigners warned the U.S. move could prompt other countries to normalize digital surveillance as part of immigration processes. If that happens, all social media users are at risk of being wrongly profiled, said Mojirayo Ogunlana, executive director of Nigeria-based DiGiCiVic Initiative. "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?" Ogunlana said. She said people would increasingly self-censor online by sharing content that aligned with the religious and political ideologies of the U.S government in case they needed to apply for visas. This has a "chilling effect on freedom of expression" globally, she said adding that young people, who use social media to express frustrations and draw the world's attention to specific causes, will be afraid to do so. "Knowing that a foreign government might review their tweets or Instagram stories would lead to self-censorship," El-Usman said. "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 Blackman, who lives in the capital Bridgetown and also only wanted to give his last name, said he deleted his X and Facebook accounts after receiving an email in May saying his visa application was on administrative hold. Blackman, 20, who has been accepted for a master's degree in pharmacy at the University of Massachusetts, said classes start in August, but he has yet to hear back about his application. He has deleted his social media accounts, but is worried about his blog posts in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States as they are still visible online. "The internet gave young people like me a voice to speak about racism and police brutality. Now, I feel silenced and monitored," Blackman said.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Foreign students scrub social media as US expands visa vetting
Nigerian student Owolabi has been meticulously scrubbing his X feed, deleting tweets and comments about U.S. policies, especially those relating to then President Donald Trump's 2018 reference to "shithole countries" in Africa. Owolabi, 23, got a place at the University of New Haven in Connecticut for a master's degree in cybersecurity this year, but with the Trump administration pausing student visa appointments ahead of new social media vetting guidelines, he is worried. "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. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 'Swing is King': Mr. Hemant's Strategy Finally Explained in Free Session TradeWise Learn More Undo Owolabi, who only wanted to be identified by his last name for fear of repercussions, was about to schedule a visa interview at the U.S embassy in the capital Abuja when he heard about the appointment pause for all applicants. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) Around 50,000 students from sub-Saharan Africa come to the United States every year to study, though China and India send many more. Live Events Around 20,000 Nigerian students went to study at U.S. colleges in 2024 - the highest number from Africa. The United States is a top destination for international students because of the post-degree career opportunities. In May, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed embassies to stop scheduling new visa appointments, saying the Trump administration would review the process and expand vetting of students' social media profiles. The directive is part of a broader crackdown on international students with the administration seeking to revoke visas, and increasing deportations of international students. The U.S. administration has also taken aim at elite universities, notably Harvard. In early June, a federal judge temporarily blocked Trump from barring U.S. entry of foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in exchange programmes at the Ivy League school. The policies on foreign students are part of a broader immigration crackdown, which the White House says aims to tighten borders and enhance national security. UNWARRANTED DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE Since 2019, most U.S. visa applicants have been required to disclose their social media identifiers, such as their Facebook or X handles. But Rubio's announcement marks an escalation of the scrutiny applicants will face and raises questions about digital surveillance and the data privacy of applicants, according to digital rights lawyers. They argue that the level of scrutiny that appears to be under consideration could set a dangerous precedent for digital surveillance in immigration processes. While details about the new procedures have yet to be revealed, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the United States was prepared to use "every tool" to vet anyone who wanted to enter the country. Scrutinising visa applicants' social media activities as part of the immigration process blurs the line between legitimate security concerns and unwarranted digital surveillance, said Khadijah El-Usman, a digital rights lawyer from Paradigm Initiative, a pan-African social enterprise. El-Usman said profiling applicants based on their online activity meant innocuous posts on X or Facebook might be misinterpreted, and applicants could be denied visas based on opinions or political jokes. "We've seen how even social media companies, mostly U.S.-based, misinterpret posts. What this means is that attempts at humour or political critique can be unfairly flagged as security threats," El-Usman said. 'CHILLING EFFECT' Digital rights campaigners warned the U.S. move could prompt other countries to normalise digital surveillance as part of immigration processes. If that happens, all social media users are at risk of being wrongly profiled, said Mojirayo Ogunlana, executive director of Nigeria-based DiGiCiVic Initiative. "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?" Ogunlana said. She said people would increasingly self-censor online by sharing content that aligned with the religious and political ideologies of the U.S government in case they needed to apply for visas. This has a "chilling effect on freedom of expression" globally, she said adding that young people, who use social media to express frustrations and draw the world's attention to specific causes, will be afraid to do so. "Knowing that a foreign government might review their tweets or Instagram stories would lead to self-censorship," El-Usman said. "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 Blackman, who lives in the capital Bridgetown and also only wanted to give his last name, said he deleted his X and Facebook accounts after receiving an email in May saying his visa application was on administrative hold. Blackman, 20, who has been accepted for a master's degree in pharmacy at the University of Massachusetts, said classes start in August, but he has yet to hear back about his application. He has deleted his social media accounts, but is worried about his blog posts in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States as they are still visible online. "The internet gave young people like me a voice to speak about racism and police brutality. Now, I feel silenced and monitored," Blackman said.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Warrington Rylands confirm first summer signing as prolific frontman joins
WARRINGTON Rylands have confirmed their first new signing of the summer. And in forward Tunde Owolabi, they have added a goalscorer of real pedigree in their current division. Owolabi has been revealed as the first new addition to Neil Reynolds' squad for the 2025-26 season after it had been previously announced that several key squad members would be remaining at the club. Skipper James Neild, last season's leading goalscorer Ben Hardcastle, goalkeeper Luke Pilling and striker George Waring will be among those staying with Rylands for the upcoming season and they will now be joined by Owolabi, who spent the season just finished in the National League North with Radcliffe. His previous record in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, however, is impressive. Most notably, Owolabi enjoyed a prolific spell at FC United of Manchester under the charge of Reynolds, scoring 35 goals in the 2019-20 season which earned him a move into the professional ranks with Scottish side Hamilton Academical. From there, he moved over to Ireland for spells at Finn Harps, St Patricks and Cork City before returning to England with Macclesfield, for whom he netted 12 times in 21 appearances during the 2023-24 campaign.
