Part ofsecurity clearance →

FEDERALhearing transcript

High Impact

Hearing on Using Social Media for Federal Security Clearances

Original title: INCORPORATING SOCIAL MEDIA INTO FEDERAL BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS

January 1, 2017

security clearance social media background investigations national security federal employment

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The Frame

What this does

This hearing explores whether federal agencies should monitor social media activity to determine if applicants for s are trustworthy, potentially changing how millions of federal employees and contractors are vetted.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Federal security clearance applicants

Their social media activity may be subject to review as part of the background investigation process.

Federal agencies

These agencies are evaluating whether to update their investigative protocols to include social media data.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2017.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

A joint House subcommittee hearing held on May 13, 2016, examined the potential for incorporating social media data into federal s for s. The discussion focused on modernizing investigative processes to better assess the trustworthiness of individuals seeking access to sensitive national security information.

Why It Matters

Key Facts

The hearing took place on May 13, 2016, in the Rayburn House Office Building.
The purpose was to discuss integrating social media data into federal security clearance and background investigations.
Federal agencies have been conducting studies on the use of social media in investigations since 2008.
The committee heard testimony from the Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, the Acting Director of the Office of Personnel Management, and the U.S. Chief Information Officer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the government considering social media for background checks?

The committee noted that social media can provide better insight into an individual's character and trustworthiness compared to traditional methods like interviewing neighbors.

Has the government looked into this before?

Yes, various federal agencies have been conducting studies on the use of social media data in investigations since 2008.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Long-term evaluation of social media

The federal government has been actively studying the integration of social media into background checks for at least eight years prior to this 2016 hearing.

Office of Personnel Management Office of the Director of National Intelligence

Connected Entities

personWilliam Evanina“Director of National Counterintelligence and Security Center”Map →

organizationCommittee on Oversight and Government Reform“House committee overseeing the hearing”Map →

personTony Scott“U.S. Chief Information Officer”Map →

personRon DeSantis“Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security”Map →

personBeth Cobert“Acting Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management”Map →

personMark Meadows“Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance75
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz20
Current news / social attention level

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