Definition of Social Media Footprint A social media footprint is the sum of all the activity, content, and data linked to your presence on social platforms. Every comment, like, share, video upload, private message, profile update, and even your connections contribute to this footprint. Some of it is public and easy for others to find. […]

Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly, and one of its latest uses is raising serious questions about safety and privacy. Tools like GeoSpy can analyze a single photo and determine its location in seconds, even if all metadata has been stripped away. For investigators, this may seem like a powerful tool. For the public, it represents […]

TL;DR – YouTube is expanding age checks for viewers and tightening identity checks for creators. The UK’s Online Safety Act and Australia’s new under-16 social-media rules are the big levers forcing platforms toward “highly effective age assurance” (read: ID, credit card, or selfie verification). Read on for details about the changes, and how you can […]

Scrub Before You Submit: Visa Screenings and the Rise of Social Media Background Checks by the Trump Admin Applying for a U.S. visa in 2025 means more than just paperwork and an interview. Consular officers are now reviewing your social media accounts as part of the screening process, adding a new layer of scrutiny that […]

All foreign nationals applying for student and educational visas must now undergo social media and online presence vetting. According to a leaked cable obtained by POLITICO, consular officers are now directed to scour the internet for signs of what they deem as “hostility towards the citizens, culture, government, institutions or founding principles of the United […]

Delta, United, and American Airlines have probably sold your itinerary, credit card info, and your movements to Homeland Security and ICE. Major U.S. airlines are acting as data brokers, selling your data to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 404 Media acquired a contract that indicated an airline-owned data […]

On June 14, 2025, Minnesota witnessed a harrowing act of political violence when Vance Luther Boelter, a 57-year-old former gubernatorial appointee, fatally shot State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and wounded State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Boelter, disguised as a police officer, carried out these attacks at the victims’ homes […]

In a story that’s equal parts dystopian and deja vu, Aaron Cohen, a former IDF operative, and actor, turned Fox News commentator, recently pitched an “AI-powered threat detection system” designed to preemptively identify mass shooters and domestic threats. The system, if implemented, would reportedly draw on publicly available data – social media, purchase histories, online […]

Your Stack Exchange account can reveal a lot about your interests, technical background, and even past opinions. Whether you’re cleaning up old posts, hiding outdated questions, or protecting your privacy, Redact.dev gives you the tools to delete your Stack Exchange history in bulk, quickly and effectively. Please note – mass deleting your Stack Exchange messages […]

Visa Applications, particularly international students, have faced a sudden pause in interviews. Reuters, BBC, Politico, Axios, and Al Jazeera have all confirmed that the pause is linked to updates in social media vetting procedures for visa applicants. This change is part of a broader shift in how personal data is assessed in immigration and national […]