From the “papers, please” dept.:
All tourists to the United States would have to reveal their social media activity from the last five years, under new Trump administration plans.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP), an agency under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), would also require any email addresses and telephone numbers visitors have used in the same period, and the names, addresses, birthdates and birthplaces of family members, including children.
The proposal was published on Tuesday in a Federal Register notice, the official publication of the US government, which is put out daily. This called the new disclosures “mandatory” for entry into the US. It would apply to people of all countries, regardless of whether they require visas or are currently permitted to complete an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (Esta) instead. That includes visitors from Britain, Australia, Germany and Japan, who are not required to get a tourist visa before visiting the US.
The notice gives members of the public two months to comment. DHS did not respond to media outlets’ requests for comment.
I can’t help but think of the massive wasteful spending this will entail.
the US Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) said it would also require any telephone numbers used by visitors over the same period, and any email addresses used in the last decade, as well as face, fingerprint, DNA and iris biometrics. It would also ask for the names, addresses, birthdates and birthplaces of family members, including children.
JFC, that’s burying the lede. Social media, whatever—good luck; ain’t nothing linked to my real name. But there ain’t no vacation worth handing over a DNA sample to a corrupt, authoritarian government.
Why anyone is still traveling to the US for a vacation under the current Republican regime is beyond me.
Here’s a fun thing that was already an issue at US border crossings years ago: Not having social media accounts under your real name is considered suspicious and can result in additional searches and lengthy questioning.
Why anyone is still traveling to the US for a vacation under the current Republican regime is beyond me.
I was planning on going to the US a few years ago but cancelled all plans indefinitely as it simply isn’t safe. I don’t think I’ll ever go to the US again at this rate.
How to erase all foreign travel and business in one easy step.
I’m surprised it doesn’t apply to Americans who are returning to the US!
…which would no doubt being “accidentally” applied to traveling US citizens.
There’s no way this is constitutional.
Does that fucking matter in any meaningful way at this point?
Well, to you and I, I believe so.
Not to them.
All the more reason to get out and stay out if you possibly can.
When the law is broken, we need to point that out.
It may not have meaning now, but we should hope someday that it does.
If only there was something the forefathers put in there about when laws are broken and the government refused to fix them…
More than a little creepy. Why would you give this info to any government willingly?
Why anyone would have a social media account under their real name these days is insane to me.
