Dive Brief:

• The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is reportedly working on a plan to more formally review social media posts as part of its visa application process, the Wall Street Journal reports.
• The recent mass shootings in San Bernardino, Calif., generated increased interest in reviewing social networking sites.
• Currently, DHS only reviews postings intermittently as part of three pilot programs that began this year.

Dive Insight:

Counterterrorism officials are now looking to see if Tashfeen Malik made similar social media posts in the past that might have hinted at the intentions of her and her husband, who are accused of killing 14 people on Dec. 2.

Malik lived most of her life in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. She moved to the U.S. in 2014 on a K-1 visa.

DHS has kept details of the pilot programs it is currently using quiet so as not to give away how they identify potential threats, but it’s believed that the current process does not sweep up all social media posts.