Updated May 2026 — Reflects all 20 platforms on current DS-160 form and March 30, 2026 expanded screening requirements
📋 DS-160 Platform Reference ⚠ 5-Year Lookback Required Since 2019 May 10, 2026 USVisaStack Editorial

DS-160 Social Media: Complete Platform List & Disclosure Requirements (2026)

The DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application requires you to disclose every social media account you used in the past 5 years — across 20 named platforms. For each account, you enter a "social media identifier" — your username or handle. This page is the definitive reference: every platform on the State Department's official list, what identifier to enter for each one, and what the consequences are if you miss something.

📌 Quick Answer: Yes, You Must Disclose Them All DS-160 social media disclosure has been mandatory since June 2019 for all nonimmigrant visa applicants. The form lists 20 platforms and includes a free-text field for any others. Private accounts, deleted accounts, and pseudonymous accounts all count. The 5-year lookback runs from your submission date.

Which social media platforms does the DS-160 require you to disclose?

The DS-160 lists 20 specific social media platforms in its dropdown. You must disclose any account you used on these platforms within the past 5 years. Additionally, any platform not on the list — including BeReal, Discord, Mastodon, Threads, and Clubhouse — goes in the free-text "Other" field.

The following table lists all 20 platforms in the DS-160 dropdown as of 2026, with the exact identifier to enter for each one. The State Department uses your identifier to locate and review your account. Enter the public-facing handle, username, or URL — not your email address or password.

# Platform What to Enter (Identifier) Required?
1 Facebook Your profile URL (e.g., facebook.com/yourname) or display name Yes
2 Instagram Your @username (e.g., @yourhandle) — both personal and business accounts Yes
3 Twitter / X Your @handle (e.g., @yourname) — include protected/private accounts Yes
4 LinkedIn Your profile URL slug (e.g., linkedin.com/in/yourname) Yes
5 YouTube Your channel name or handle (e.g., @yourchannel or channel URL) Yes
6 TikTok Your @handle (e.g., @yourname) — public by default, frequently indexed Yes
7 Snapchat Your Snapchat username (shown in profile settings) Yes
8 Tumblr Your blog URL (e.g., yourname.tumblr.com) or username Yes
9 Pinterest Your Pinterest username or profile URL Yes
10 Reddit Your Reddit username (u/yourname) Yes
11 Flickr Your Flickr username or profile URL Yes
12 Google+ Your Google+ profile URL or display name (service shut down March 2019) Legacy
13 Vine Your Vine username (service shut down 2017 — archive still searchable) Legacy
14 Myspace Your Myspace display name or profile URL Legacy
15 Sina Weibo Your Weibo username or profile URL (weibo.com/yourname) Elevated
16 WeChat (Weixin) Your WeChat ID (shown in your profile) — not phone number Elevated
17 Douban Your Douban username or profile URL Elevated
18 QQ International Your QQ number or public display name Elevated
19 VKontakte (VK) Your VK profile URL or username (vk.com/yourname) Yes
20 Telegram Your Telegram username (@yourname) — if you have a public username set Yes

Elevated = Chinese-origin platforms that receive heightened scrutiny under current State Department policy. Legacy = discontinued services still included in the dropdown; disclose if used within the 5-year window.

⚠ "Other" Platforms Field The DS-160 also includes a free-text field for any social media platform not in the above dropdown. If you used a platform not listed — including BeReal, Mastodon, Discord (public servers), Clubhouse, Threads, or similar — enter it in the "Other" field. When in doubt, disclose. The risk of over-disclosure is negligible; the risk of under-disclosure is permanent inadmissibility.

What is a "social media identifier" on the DS-160?

The DS-160 form uses the term "social media identifier" — defined as your username, handle, or profile URL for each platform. The purpose is to give consular officers a way to find and review your account. You are never asked for your password or private login information.

Twitter / X
Handle
@username
Enter the @handle shown on your profile. Do not include spaces or the full URL.
Instagram
Username
@yourusername
Disclose all accounts — personal, business, and creator accounts used in the 5-year window.
LinkedIn
Profile URL Slug
linkedin.com/in/yourname
Find this in "Edit public profile & URL" in LinkedIn settings. Officers compare it to your petition details.
Facebook
Profile URL or Name
facebook.com/yourname
If you have a custom URL, use that. Otherwise use your display name. Include Messenger-only accounts.
TikTok
Handle
@yourhandle
TikTok content is public by default and indexed by search engines. Officers have cited TikTok videos in denials.
YouTube
Channel Name or Handle
@yourchannel
Use your @handle if set, or your channel name. Include channels with even a small amount of content.
Reddit
Username
u/yourusername
Reddit comments and posts are publicly indexed. Pseudonymous accounts still require disclosure.
WeChat
WeChat ID
your_wechat_id
Your WeChat ID is set once and visible in Me → My QR Code → show profile. Do not enter phone number.
Telegram
Username (if set)
@yourusername
Only accounts with a public username set are fully searchable. If you have no public username, note that.
Snapchat
Username
yourusername
Found in profile settings under "Username." Not the same as your display name.
Sina Weibo
Username or Profile URL
weibo.com/yourusername
Subject to heightened scrutiny. Include even low-activity accounts used within the 5-year window.
VKontakte (VK)
Profile URL or ID
vk.com/yourid
VK profiles are indexed globally. Disclose all accounts including regional or community profiles.

Multiple Accounts on the Same Platform

If you have more than one account on a platform — for example, a personal Instagram and a business Instagram — disclose both. The DS-160 allows multiple entries for the same platform. Some applicants miss secondary accounts (old usernames, business profiles, accounts used for a specific project) — these count. The question is: did you use any account on that platform in the past 5 years? If yes, disclose it.

Pseudonymous Accounts

Accounts created under a fake name still require disclosure. Consular officers can link pseudonymous accounts to real identities through email cross-referencing, IP geolocation, profile photos, mutual connections, and OSINT techniques. "I used a different name" is not a defense to an undisclosed account — it is evidence of intent to conceal.

Get the DS-160 Social Media Checklist

Which platforms to list, what identifier to enter for each one — in a printable checklist for your application.

✓ Checklist on its way!

Do private accounts and deleted accounts count on the DS-160?

Yes. Both private accounts and deleted accounts must be disclosed on the DS-160 — if they fall within the 5-year lookback window. The form asks for platforms used in the past 5 years. "Used" means any account you created, logged into, or posted from — regardless of current status.

Private Accounts

A private Instagram, a protected Twitter account, a friends-only Facebook profile — all must be disclosed. Privacy settings affect what a consular officer can see during review, not what you are obligated to report. If an officer asks you about a private account during your interview and you did not disclose it, the failure to disclose is the problem — not the content of the account.

Deleted Accounts

Deleting a social media account does not erase the disclosure obligation. If the account was active at any point during the 5-year window running backwards from your DS-160 submission date, it must be listed. In practice:

If you cannot remember the exact username of a deleted account, note that in the application rather than skipping it. "Account deleted in [year], username no longer known" is a defensible disclosure. A blank field that an officer later fills with a cached page is a fraud finding.

⚠ Accounts Outside the 5-Year Window Accounts you stopped using more than 5 years before your DS-160 submission date do not need to be disclosed. If you created a Myspace account in 2008 and last used it in 2018, and you are submitting your DS-160 in May 2026, it falls outside the window (5 years back = May 2021). Use the submission date — not the interview date — to calculate the cutoff.

What If I Forgot to List an Account?

This is the highest-anxiety question applicants ask — and understandably so. The short answer: fix it immediately, and do not wait to see if the officer finds it.

Before Your Interview (Correctable)

If you realize you omitted an account after submitting the DS-160 but before attending your visa interview, complete a new DS-160 with the correct social media disclosure. Bring the updated confirmation page to your interview. At the start of the interview, inform the consular officer that you have a corrected DS-160. This is treated very differently than an omission the officer discovers independently.

At the Interview (Disclose Immediately)

If you arrive at the interview and realize you forgot an account, disclose it to the officer before they ask about it. Volunteering the information is the only path to a favorable interpretation. Officers distinguish between applicants who make an honest effort and those who conceal. If the officer discovers an undisclosed account without you mentioning it, the calculus shifts dramatically.

How Officers Find Undisclosed Accounts

Do not assume an omission will go unnoticed. Consular officers are trained in open-source intelligence (OSINT) and use multiple methods:

⚠ Permanent Inadmissibility Risk An omission found by an officer — rather than voluntarily disclosed — can constitute willful misrepresentation under INA §212(a)(6)(C)(i). This is a permanent ground of inadmissibility with no time limit. There is no amnesty provision — unlike some other grounds. If you are unsure whether to disclose something, disclose it. The risk of over-disclosing is zero. The risk of under-disclosing is permanent.

Consult an Attorney If Needed

If you realize you submitted a DS-160 with a material omission and your interview is imminent, consult an immigration attorney before the interview. An attorney can advise on how to correct the record and how to frame the correction at the consular interview. Do not attempt to strategize around the omission — the correction route is always better than the concealment route.

DS-160 Social Media Requirements Since 2019 — Timeline

The DS-160 social media disclosure requirement was not always this broad. It has expanded significantly since its 2019 introduction. Understanding the timeline matters because older applicants who have been through the process before may be operating on outdated assumptions about what they need to disclose.

June 2019
Social Media Disclosure Added to DS-160
The U.S. Department of State added the social media section to the DS-160 for all nonimmigrant visa applicants. The original platform list included the major Western platforms. All nonimmigrant visa applicants were required to disclose, but active screening was initially limited.
2020–2024
Expanded Platform List, Ongoing Enforcement
The State Department expanded the platform dropdown to include Chinese-origin platforms (WeChat, Douban, Sina Weibo, QQ) and Russian-origin platforms (VKontakte). Active screening intensified for immigrant visa categories, particularly employment-based and family-based petitions.
June 2025
F, M, and J Visa Categories Added to Active Screening
Student visas (F-1, F-2), vocational student visas (M-1, M-2), and exchange visitor visas (J-1, J-2) were added to mandatory active social media screening. Previously these categories were lower scrutiny; as of June 2025, consular officers are required to review disclosed social media for all F/M/J applicants.
December 2025
H-1B and H-4 Added to Active Screening
H-1B specialty occupation visa applicants and H-4 dependent visa applicants were added to the active screening requirement. This was the most significant expansion affecting the tech and professional workforce. LinkedIn profiles drew particular scrutiny for consistency with I-129 petition details.
March 30, 2026
14 Additional Categories — Largest Single Expansion
The State Department added 14 visa categories: K-1 (fiancé), K-2, K-3, R-1 (religious worker), R-2, H-3 (trainee), A-3, C-3, G-5, Q, S, T, and U visas. Applications submitted on or after this date are subject to mandatory active social media review. This represents the third and largest single expansion of the vetting program.

The key takeaway: if you applied for a US visa before 2019, you filled out a DS-160 with no social media section. If you apply today, every account you have used in the past 5 years — across 20 named platforms and any others — must be disclosed. The program has not contracted at any point. Future expansions are likely.

Frequently Asked Questions

What social media platforms are required on the DS-160 in 2026? ▾
The DS-160 lists 20 platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Tumblr, Pinterest, Reddit, Flickr, Google+, Vine, Myspace, Sina Weibo, WeChat (Weixin), Douban, QQ International, VKontakte (VK), and Telegram. If you used any of these in the past 5 years, disclose them. There is also a free-text "Other" field for any platform not in the dropdown — use it for BeReal, Mastodon, Threads, Clubhouse, or any other platform you used.
What is a "social media identifier" on the DS-160? ▾
An identifier is your username, handle, or profile URL — whichever publicly identifies your account. Twitter/X: @handle. Instagram: @username. LinkedIn: profile URL slug (linkedin.com/in/yourname). Facebook: profile URL or display name. YouTube: @channel handle. TikTok: @handle. Reddit: u/username. WeChat: your WeChat ID. Telegram: @username (if you set one). You never enter your password, email address, or phone number — only the public-facing account identifier.
Do I have to disclose private accounts on the DS-160? ▾
Yes. Privacy settings affect what consular officers can see during review — not what you are required to disclose. A private Instagram account, a protected Twitter account, a friends-only Facebook profile — all must be listed on the DS-160 if used within the past 5 years. The failure to disclose a private account is treated the same as the failure to disclose a public one.
Do I have to list deleted social media accounts on the DS-160? ▾
Yes. Deleting an account does not eliminate the obligation to disclose it. If the account was used at any point during the 5-year lookback window (counting back from your DS-160 submission date), you must list it. If you can't remember the exact username of a deleted account, write what you can recall and note that the account was deleted. Officers find deleted accounts via Google cache, archive.org, and cross-referencing. "It was deleted" is not a defense.
What if I forgot to list a social media account on my DS-160? ▾
If you realize the omission before your interview, complete a corrected DS-160 and bring it to the interview. Tell the consular officer at the start that you have an updated form. If you realize it at the interview, disclose it immediately before the officer asks. Voluntarily correcting the record is treated very differently than an omission discovered during screening. A discovered omission can be treated as willful misrepresentation under INA §212(a)(6)(C)(i) — a permanent ground of inadmissibility. If the interview is imminent and the omission is material, consult an immigration attorney first.
📋 Check Your Visa Eligibility Disclosing your social media is one step in the DS-160. Make sure your overall visa eligibility — employment history, ties to home country, financial documentation — is solid before your interview. Free Eligibility Assessment → Visa Fee Calculator →
Legal Disclaimer: This guide is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration law is complex and fact-specific. DS-160 form requirements reflect State Department guidance as of May 2026; form language and platform lists may change without notice. Consult a licensed immigration attorney for advice specific to your situation. Source: DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, U.S. Department of State.