The Trump administration wants to force foreign visitors to give border agents access to their social media accounts before they are allowed into the country. The proposal applies to all visa-free travelers.
The new proposal would make it “mandatory” for ESTA applicants to provide US authorities with access to five years of their social media activity on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and X.
Visitors will also be required to provide information on what US authorities dub “high-value data fields,” meaning all of their phone numbers over the past five years and all of their e-mail addresses over the past 10. Moreover, they will be forced to provide personal details on family members as well as provide their own biometric data.
The proposal was published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, meaning that it will be open for public comment for 60 days, at which point it will become law unless challenged in court.
For real, there really is no way for them to know for sure.
Also, I just remembered Apple has throwaway emails built in now, nobody will think to list those. So do you just go to jail straight away if you miss listing one of those, because you lied on a federal form?
Nah I don’t believe so, the vast majority of the people doesn’t really care about privacy at all and they will gladly provide all the “required” information just to enter in the country. I guess they already know a lot of information about you (google account, biometric data in phones, GPS location, frecuent used apps…) and they just want you to provide even more information and tag you as an danger if you don’t answer exactly what they know about you.
I was wondering why this ‘five years’ thing popped up now, because I’m pretty sure I’ve heard of it long ago.
The US was known for ages to be very shady at the borders, like circa fifteen years ago when they detained a security researcher who was travelling to a conference to tell about yet another of NSA’s shenanigans: they held him for hours, searched through his devices, and in the end denied entry.
Uhhhh, it’s more than their social media.
Emails? Wtf?
I think that’s objectively worse than North Korea, they only check what you have with you as far as I’m aware
Checks SimpleLogin account… 230 email aliases to date… gg, I might need a few more pages to note all of those.
That looks suspicious and a lot of work, let’s just send you to and ICE detention facility until we decide what to do with you.
Can’t argue with that logic. I’ll report to my nearest border crossing if/when this passes to make things easier for everyone.
The Fourth Reich thanks you for your understanding!
Plus, how tf are they going to know if you’re telling them about everything? This will just make people not visit.
For real, there really is no way for them to know for sure.
Also, I just remembered Apple has throwaway emails built in now, nobody will think to list those. So do you just go to jail straight away if you miss listing one of those, because you lied on a federal form?
Unfortunately, that probably depends on what color you are. They have taken a few whities, but that was probably just for show.
Our country isn’t really safe to visit right now, please come back if/when we’re better. Most Americans are sorry about this.
Really hope for a positive outcome. I would love to go visit my happy place on the Oregon coast again some day!
Nah I don’t believe so, the vast majority of the people doesn’t really care about privacy at all and they will gladly provide all the “required” information just to enter in the country. I guess they already know a lot of information about you (google account, biometric data in phones, GPS location, frecuent used apps…) and they just want you to provide even more information and tag you as an danger if you don’t answer exactly what they know about you.
What if you’re not a 15-year-old girl and therefore don’t have TikTok and Instagram are they going to arrest you? What a truly stupid country.
I was wondering why this ‘five years’ thing popped up now, because I’m pretty sure I’ve heard of it long ago.
The US was known for ages to be very shady at the borders, like circa fifteen years ago when they detained a security researcher who was travelling to a conference to tell about yet another of NSA’s shenanigans: they held him for hours, searched through his devices, and in the end denied entry.
This is a shame honestly. I’ve just remembered about Lucas’ narrative art museum.