Data Security & Social Media Safety Guide for Union Organizers and Members

(Last updated: 23 June 2025)

Please note, on June 18, 2025, the U.S. State Department has started to vet “all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas” by “[instructing them] to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public.’”

This living guide contains:

  1. Introduction

  2. Understanding Digital Risks 

  3. Data Security Best Practices

  4. Strategic Social Media Use for Organizing

  5. Secure Strategies for Group Communication

  6. Digital Security for Direct Actions and Protests

  7. Legal Considerations and Protected Activity

  8. Digital Safety Emergency Contacts

  9. Conclusion

  10. Resources and Further Reading

  11. Bibliography