Did you know that beginning last week, US Customs and Border Protection began asking foreign travelers to share their Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube accounts? Currently, only those arriving on a visa waiver program are being asked to share their account names upon being processed through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization process.
Condé Nast reports that it’s currently not a requirement to enter, but many foreign travelers might get confused or scared and provide the data anyway:
“The choice to hand over this information is technically voluntary, but the process to enter the U.S. is confusing, and it’s likely that most visitors will fill out the card completely rather than risk additional questions from intimidating, uniformed officers — the same officers who will decide which of your jokes are funny and which ones make you a security risk.”
This has sparked fears of discrimination with many groups fearing that social networks of their members could be targets.
Check out the full details here.
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2 comments
No sympathy. Our group- all Americans- was virtually strip-searched in Frankfurt despite only trying to transfer from one flight to another. Endless terrorist attacks and constant warnings about security from our embassies. Visited Cairo and hotels are surrounded by soldiers, bomb-sniffing dogs, and everything coming in is x-rayed. People visiting the USA from foreign countries can share their Facebook account, if they have nothing to hide. Not too much to ask.
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