And make no mistake – as soon as you hit ‘submit’ or ‘publish’, that’s it. It’s as good as permanent. In fact, even if you delete your post on, for example, Facebook, it is still discoverable during a legal action.

So, with that as background, perhaps it should come as no surprise that the Federal Department of National Intelligence has issued a directive (Security Executive Agent Directive 5), that says that the social media accounts of applicants for national security clearances may – and in fact should – be scrutinized for “discrepant information or potentially disqualifying” information related to the applicant.

“When publicly available social media information pertaining to the covered individual identifies discrepant information or potentially disqualifying issues relevant to one or more of the adjudicative guidelines, the investigation shall be expanded to fully resolve all issues,” says the directive, signed by Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, and which became effective on May 12, 2016.

According to William R. Evanina, Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, during his testimony the following day (May 13, 2016) before the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Government Operations and Subcommittee on National Security Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, “The data gathered via social media will enhance our ability to determine initial or continued eligibility for access to classified national security information and eligibility for sensitive positions, adding that “The use of social media has become an integral, and very public, part of the fabric of most Americans’ daily lives, and it is critical that we use this important source of information to help protect our nation’s security.”

The bottom line is that pretty much anything that you say on social media can be used against you. Whether in a court of law, for a background check, or, as we point out here, when you apply for a job or have a date with someone new, as the Police put it so succinctly, every single day, every word you say, they’ll be watching you.

Here’s the full text of the Directive:

Note: This was transcribed from the PDF of the original document by The Internet Patrol – any odd characters or apparent typos are due to the transcription process

  A. AUTHORITY: The National Security Act of 47, as amended; Intelligence Reform and
 Terrorism Prevention Act of 04, as amended; Executive Order (EO) 10450, Security
 Requirements for Government Employment, as amended; EO 968, Access to Classified
 Information, as amended; EO 467, Reforming Processes Related to Suitability for Government
 Employment, Fitness for Contractor Employees, and Eligibility for Access to Classified National
 Security Information; EO 549, Classified National Security Information Program for State,
 Local, Tribal and Private Sector Entities; Performance Accountability Council Memorandum,
 Assignment of Functions Relating to Coverage of Contractor Employee Fitness in the Federal
 Investigative Standards, 6 December ; and other applicable provisions of law.

 B. PURPOSE: This Security Executive Agent (SecEA) Directive addresses the collection and
 use of publicly available social media information during the conduct of personnel security
 background investigations and adjudications for determining initial or continued eligibility for
 access to classified national security information or eligibility to hold a sensitive position and the
 retention of such information. Nothing in this Directive prohibits agencies from conducting other
 legally permissible investigations or inquiries.

 C. APPLICABILITY: This Directive applies to "authorized investigative agencies" and
 "authorized adjudicative agencies" as defined below. This directive also applies to "covered
 individuals," as defined below, seeking initial or continued eligibility for access to classified
 information or eligibility to hold a sensitive position.

 D. DEFINITIONS: As used in this Directive, the following terms have the meanings set forth
 below:

   1. "Agency": Any "executive agency" as defined in 5 U.S.C. § 105, the "military
 departments," as defined in 5 U.S.C. § 102, and any other entity within the executive branch that
 comes into possession of classified national security information or has positions designated as
 sensitive.

   2. "Authorized adjudicative agency": An agency authorized by law, executive order, or
 designation by the SecEA to determine eligibility for access to classified information in
 accordance with EO 968, as amended, or eligibility to hold a sensitive position.
   3. "Authorized investigative agency": An agency authorized by law or regulation to conduct
 a counterintelligence investigation or investigation of persons who are proposed for access to
 classified information to ascertain whether such persons satisfy the criteria for obtaining and
 retaining access to such information.
  4. "Classified national security information" or "classified information": Information that
 has been determined, pursuant to EO 5, any predecessor or successor order, or the Atomic
 Energy Act of 54, as amended, to require protection against unauthorized disclosure and is
 marked to indicate its classified status when in documentary form.
  5. "Covered individual":

    a. A person who performs work for or on behalf of the executive branch or who seeks to
 perform work for or on behalf of the executive branch, but does not include the President or
 (except to the extent otherwise directed by the President) employees of the President under 3
 U.S.C. § 105 or § 107, the Vice President or (except to the extent otherwise directed by the Vice
 President) employees of the Vice President under 3 U.S.C. §106 or annual legislative branch
 appropriations acts;
    b. A person who performs work for or on behalf of a state, local, tribal or private sector
 entity. as defined in EO 549, but does not include duly elected or appointed governors of a
 state or territory, or an official who has succeeded to that office under applicable law;
    c. A person working in or for the legislative or judicial branches and the investigation or
 determination is conducted by the executive branch, but does not include Members of Congress;
 Justices of the Supreme Court; and Federal judges appointed by the President.
    d. Employees of the U.S. Government; industrial, commercial, or personal services
 contractors; licensees; certificate holders; grantees; experts or consultants; and all subcontractors
 or any other category of person who acts for or on behalf of the U.S. Government as determined
 by an appropriate U.S. Government official.
  6. "Investigative record": The official record of all data obtained on the covered individual
 from Trusted Information Providers,' suitability and security applications and questionnaires,
 and any investigative activity conducted under the Federal Investigative Standards or as
 approved by the executive agent.
  7. "Publicly available social media information": Any electronic social media information
 that has been published or broadcast for public consumption, is available on request to the
 public, is accessible on-line to the public, is available to the public by subscription or purchase,
 or is otherwise lawfully accessible to the public.


   As defined in the  Federal Investigative Standards.

    8. "Reasonably exhaustive efforts": The appropriate level of efforts to resolve issues or
  corroborate discrepant information. They may include multiple attempts or techniques to satisfy
  the issue, attempts to corroborate the activity through references from the background
  investigation, and/or attempts to obtain and pursue additional leads through other aspects of the
  investigation.


    9. "Sensitive position": Any position within or in support of an agency in which the
  occupant could bring about, by virtue of the nature of the position, a material adverse effect on
  national security regardless of whether the occupant has access to classified information and
  regardless of whether the occupant is an employee, military service member, or contractor.


    10. "Social media": Websites, applications, and web-based tools that allow the creation and
  exchange of user generated content. Through social media, people or groups can engage in
  dialogue, interact, and create, organize, edit, comment on, combine, and share content.


  E. POLICY: Agencies may choose to collect publicly available social media information in the
  personnel security background investigation process, which pertains to the covered individual's
  associations, behavior and conduct, as long as the information pertains to the adjudicative
  guidelines for making determinations of initial or continued eligibility for access to classified
  information or eligibility to hold a sensitive position.


    1. Authorized investigative agencies may collect, use, and retain publicly available social
  media information as part of a covered individual's background investigation and, if collected,
  shall incorporate the relevant results in the investigative record. The period of coverage for
  publicly available electronic information will be consistent with the scope of the investigation.


    2. Authorized adjudicative agencies may use and retain publicly available social media
  information when determining initial or continued eligibility of a covered individual for access to
  classified information or eligibility to hold a sensitive position.


    3. Collection of publicly available social media information shall only he conducted after
  obtaining the signed Authorization for Release of Information form of the Standard Form 86,
  Questionnaire for National Security Positions, which includes notice of the collection of such
  information.


   4. Only publicly available social media information pertaining to the covered individual
 under investigation shall intentionally be collected. Absent a national security concern, or
 criminal reporting requirement, information pertaining to individuals other than the covered
 individual will not be investigated or pursued. Information inadvertently collected relating to
 other individuals will not be retained unless that information is relevant to a security
 determination of the covered individual.

   5. Covered individuals shall not be requested or required to:

     a. Provide passwords;

     b. Log into a private account; or

     c. Take any action that would disclose non-publicly available social media information.
     6. Agencies shall not create accounts or use existing accounts on social media for the
  purpose of connecting (e.g., "friend", "follow") to a covered individual or enlist the assistance of
  a third party in order to bypass privacy controls and/or access otherwise non-publicly available
  social media information. Agencies shall not request that a covered individual connect to an
  agency account or access their account from an agency system in order to provide access to
 information which would otherwise be protected from public view.
     7. Authorized investigative agencies shall make reasonably exhaustive efforts to verify that
  any information collected that is discrepant or potentially disqualifying pertains to the covered
  individual. When publicly available social media information pertaining to the covered
  individual identifies discrepant information or potentially disqualifying issues relevant to one or
  more of the adjudicative guidelines, the investigation shall be expanded to fully resolve all
  issues.
     8. Any potentially disqualifying issue(s) shall be adjudicated using the National Security
  Adjudicative Guidelines, reference 3. No unfavorable personnel security actions shall be taken
  solely on uncorroborated or unverified discrepant information collected pursuant to this
  Directive. When an adjudicative determination is made to deny or revoke eligibility for access to
  classified information or eligibility to hold a sensitive position, the covered individual shall be
  afforded the review proceedings in EO 968, as amended, Part 5.
     9. Agencies that use publicly available social media information pursuant to this policy shall
  reciprocally accept existing investigations or adjudications, that otherwise meet requirements for
  reciprocity, performed by an agency that does not collect or use publicly available social media
  information. The gaining agency may collect social media information on the covered individual
  pursuant to this policy.
 F. RESPONSIBILITIES:
     1. The SeeEA is responsible for:
       a. Development of standard requirements for the collection, use, and retention of
  information obtained from social media sources.
       b. Ensuring policies and procedures governing the collection, use, and retention of
  publicly available social media information are in accordance with this Directive.
       c. Issuing guidelines and instructions to ensure appropriate uniformity, efficiency,
  effectiveness, and timeliness in processes and procedures relating to the collection and use of
  publicly available social media information.
       d. Overseeing policies and procedures governing uniform investigator and adjudicator
  training in the collection, use, and retention of publicly available social media information.
     2. Heads of Agencies shall:

     a. Inform the SecEA of their intent to collect, use, and retain publicly available social
 media information in determinations for persons requiring initial or continued eligibility for
 access to classified information or eligibility to hold a sensitive position.


     h. Ensure that agency policies and procedures governing the collection, use, and
 retention of publicly available social media information are in accordance with all applicable
 laws, executive orders, and implementing guidance, and include appropriate protections for
 privacy and civil liberties, including any necessary changes to documentation required by
 applicable law (e.g., Privacy Impact Assessments required by the E-government Act or System
 of Records Notices required by the Privacy Act).

     c. Ensure that the collection, analysis, reporting, and retrieval of publicly available
 social media information are automated to the greatest extent practicable.


     d. Promptly advise the SecEA of any challenges or impediments to the implementation
 of this policy.


     e. Ensure that authorized investigative and adjudicative personnel are provided training
 on the collection, use, and retention of publicly available social media information governed by
 this policy.


     f. Act upon and share relevant information of a security, counterintelligence (CI), or law
 enforcement concern with appropriate security, CI, insider threat, or law enforcement officials.


     g. Share best practices for more secure, effective, and efficient methods for the
 collection and use of publicly available social media information.


 G. EFFECTIVE DATE: This Directive becomes effective on the date of signature.

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