US Now Scans Your Cat Memes Before Letting You Back In, Maybe Till 2026

KEY POINTS

•Google, Apple, Microsoft, and ServiceNow warned visa-dependent employees of travel risks caused by new social media screening.
•Since December 15, consulates especially in Chennai and Hyderabad have delayed visa appointments up to June 2026.
•Microsoft’s Jack Chen advised staff to reconsider travel plans due to limited emergency options and unpredictable rescheduling.

Tech titans Google, Apple, Microsoft, and ServiceNow have sent somber memos to their work-visa-wielding staffers warning them not to travel internationally, lest they become stranded like a Netflix series stuck on Season 3. The culprit? A new social media vetting policy launched on December 15 that has US consulates scrambling and delay notices popping up mainly in Chennai and Hyderabad, with new visa appointments pushed as far as June 2026. Microsoft’s associate general counsel Jack Chen admits it’s a 'rapidly developing situation' that might leave some employees marooned abroad, possibly turning 'a routine trip' into a year-long vacation involuntarily enforced by bureaucracy. Shockingly, even emergency appointments seem off the table. Meanwhile, the State Department is busy prioritizing thorough vetting over speed, making social media inboxes the latest checkpoint on America's immigration obstacle course.