Well as the article says it's for "applications for all visa types" can you enlighten me how this would help with giving Brits or Americans a better chance of employment?

Any corporate bringing people in under a skill-based exception is unlikely to be affected - they already game the system, that they helped create, significantly. Any potential overseas worker wanting to emigrate will just add "make a FB, and Twitter account" to their to-do list alongside get a degree.

Social media accounts are not exactly rare things. Would you be happy for the subjective judgements to be required against everyone's (including natives) social media when applying for a job, bank account, holiday, or travelling?