US Customs and Border Protection Proposes Mandatory Social Media Screening for Travelers from 42 Countries
The Trump administration has unveiled a plan to make social media history a mandatory part of the screening process for travelers entering the US. The proposal, which will impact visitors from countries including Australia, France, Germany, Japan, and the UK, would require tourists to submit their social media handles when applying for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) permit.
Currently, travelers from 42 countries can visit the US for up to 90 days without a visa. Under the new proposal, visitors would have to provide access to their social media accounts, as well as extensive family member information, email addresses used over the last decade, phone numbers used in the past five years, and even biometric data.
The move is part of President Donald Trump's efforts to clamp down on immigration and comes after his administration began requiring some visa applicants to provide their social media accounts earlier this year. The proposal will be open for public comment for 60 days.
Critics argue that the requirement would be an invasion of travelers' privacy, while proponents see it as a necessary step in ensuring national security. As the debate surrounding immigration policies continues, one thing is clear: the Trump administration's stance on social media screening for foreign visitors has sparked a heated discussion.
The Trump administration has unveiled a plan to make social media history a mandatory part of the screening process for travelers entering the US. The proposal, which will impact visitors from countries including Australia, France, Germany, Japan, and the UK, would require tourists to submit their social media handles when applying for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) permit.
Currently, travelers from 42 countries can visit the US for up to 90 days without a visa. Under the new proposal, visitors would have to provide access to their social media accounts, as well as extensive family member information, email addresses used over the last decade, phone numbers used in the past five years, and even biometric data.
The move is part of President Donald Trump's efforts to clamp down on immigration and comes after his administration began requiring some visa applicants to provide their social media accounts earlier this year. The proposal will be open for public comment for 60 days.
Critics argue that the requirement would be an invasion of travelers' privacy, while proponents see it as a necessary step in ensuring national security. As the debate surrounding immigration policies continues, one thing is clear: the Trump administration's stance on social media screening for foreign visitors has sparked a heated discussion.
, but I think they're going too far with this social media requirement 
. Like, isn't our online life private enough already? 
We don't need the government snooping through our Instagram and Facebook for "security reasons". It's just a bunch of extra info that's not even necessary for travel. Plus, what if people get their accounts hacked or something? 
The whole thing just feels like a big invasion of our personal space 
. Can't they find other ways to keep us safe? 
I'm not against being safe or anything, but can't they think of a more subtle way to do it? I don't want my aunt from Germany having her tweets scrutinized just because she's visiting the US for 90 days. 
It feels like we're jumping straight into a sci-fi movie or something 
. What if there are hackers out there trying to get this info? Or what if people use their social media accounts for legit reasons, like staying in touch with family back home? 
Can't they just focus on more practical security measures instead of messing around with our online presence? 
I remember when we used to just show up at the airport with a passport and a smile, no fuss. Now it's all about national security, but honestly, can't we just trust people to be good? This is just too much, gotta comment on this ASAP! 
. seriously though, who thought this was a good idea? it's like they're trying to keep tabs on everything we do online. and what's the point of even sharing family member info if we can just block them from our socials anyway? 
For real though, 42 countries can't just waltz into the US without being scrutinized? I get it, national security is a thing, but do we really need to invade people's social media accounts? It's like, come on guys... this is the US of freedom, not some Orwellian dystopia! 
The more I think about it, the more concerned I am about where our country is headed. What's next? Mandatory phone tracking or something crazy like that?! 
. What's next? Checking what you post on Instagram? It feels like they're trying to monitor everyone's online activity 
and what's next? are they gonna ask us about our browsing history or something 
what's next? asking us 4 our Netflix passwords?! 
Like, who even needs that much info from their social media accounts? And what about people's online privacy? It's already hard enough to keep our personal stuff private in the digital age. Can we just say no to this one? 
That'd be some serious 1984 vibes 
.
.
It's just not how we do things in the US. And what exactly are they hoping to find on our social media accounts that would make them require this level of info? 
I think we need to ask ourselves if this kind of mandatory screening is the answer. Is it worth sacrificing our online freedoms for the sake of security? Or can we find a balance between the two? 
. And what's next, are they gonna ask for our browser history and stuff like that? It just feels like an invasion of our privacy, you know? But at the same time, if it means keeping us safe from terrorism and all that, I guess I can live with it... for now