New Delhi, June 28 -- A 24-year-old from Delhi, recently admitted to Harvard University, now starts his day by checking his Instagram account. "Every few hours, I think of how an old post may be problematic, and then delete it," he says. "Even memes feel risky now." He is among several Indian students who shared their growing concerns with The Indian Express over a new US rule that asks all F, M, and J visa applicants to make their social media profiles public.

The advisory, issued in the name of "national security and public safety," asks applicants to adjust their privacy settings so that US consular officers can review their accounts. In previous years, only publicly visible content was checked.

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