Last Updated on August 31, 2019
The United States rejected a visa for Ismail Ajjawi after an anti-political post was found that directly spoke against the United States.
The post, made by an associate, cost Ajjaw a scholarship to Harvard University. The visa was rejected shortly after Ajjaw was sent back to Lebanon from Boston’s airport.
The reason the visa was rejected is reportedly a social media post made by an online friend of Ajjaw. Ajjaw was questioned at the Boston airport for hours before being sent back to Lebanon.
CNET reports that the post in question was concerning “political points of view that oppose the United States.”
This decision to revoke the visa of Ajjaw simply for associating with an individual who posts disparagingly about the U.S. has us existing in the kind of dystopian future foreshadowed in ‘1984.’
Not only is the government penalizing people because of their online affiliations, but as is made evident in this case that they are also using the umbrella of permissions provided to conduct background investigations to probe the social media accounts of individuals who have applied fro visas.
This is only one example of “big brother” that has been implemented into polite society. The New York State Department of Financial Services announced that as of this year, insurance companies can base your rates off of how recklessly, or not you advertise your lifestyle.
Companies such as Airbnb and Uber have similar policies on what qualifies as a reason to dismiss someone from their apps. Airbnb can disable your account for any reason, and they don’t have to report to you what that reason was.
Additionally, on Airbnb they will make sure that you can not just recreate and use the app under a new account. When you use Uber, the driver is allowed to give you a rating. If that rating dips “significantly below average,” you may be banned and not welcomed back.
Unfortunately for Ajjaw, his crime of association cost him his ability to attend Harvard on the scholarship he was granted. The University is reported to be working on an alternative solution for Ajjaw. Customs Border Protection responded to email inquiry from CNET.
“This individual was deemed inadmissible to the United States based on information discovered during the CBP inspection.”
With Social Credit already being a frightening reality to exist in, the act of being penalized for the actions of your affiliates takes it to the next level of invasive.
