DHS is now asking some foreign visitors about their social media

[Judi Lynn]

Source: CBS News

CBS News/ December 22, 2016, 6:30 PM


Starting this week, for some foreigners travelling to the United States, the government has added a new question about social media user information, as part of an effort to help identify potential terrorist threats.

In June, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) proposed adding an optional question to travel authorization applications. It asked applicants to volunteer their social media account identifiers, as part of the agency’s efforts to enhance its vetting of people who travel to the U.S. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the addition of the question this month, the Department of Homeland Security told CBS News.

Should applicants provide the requested information about their social media accounts, CBP officers would only be able to see what’s publicly available on the accounts submitted -- applicants wouldn’t be asked to violate privacy settings or policies.

After CBP proposed the new question, several civil liberties and internet groups raised objections. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) argued that there were “no standards to ensure that innocent travelers would not be misjudged and denied entry into the U.S.”

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dhs-is-now-asking-foreign-visitors-about-their-social-media/

[Equinox Moon]

1. Non of their business. IMO

[Lulu KC]

2. Obviously not the idea of a parent of teenagers

--who would know that they would just create an account under a different name. Good luck with that, DHS!

[xor]

7. You really have to question the 'thinking' ability of the people who come up with some of this stuff

Unless I'm missing something, I don't see how this would be of much benefit.

The only possibile way I can think of is if they flag people who opt out or who say they do not have any social media, or maybe people who have mostly empty accounts. As they would see that as a sign of being susupcious. Even then it's still mostly useless, and if they require that to figure out who is 'bad', then I think we have some serious problems.

[pfitz59]

3. Some companies are doing this to job applicants...

a real invasion of privacy. Seems the free exchange of ideas is so 20th Century...

[inanna]

4. Rec for visibility.

Thanks for posting Judi Lynn.

This is important.

[oberliner]

10. Why is this important?

It's optional.

[xor]

5. Sounds about as useful as having a "Are you a bad person who is going to do bad things?" checkbox

People with bad intent probably wouldn't check that box. I'd also wager to say that a bad person who talks a lot of smack online wouldn't willingly give up said account.

I don't really see this as being something horrible and a sign of extreme oppression, but rather it's just ineffective nonsense that serves little purpose. Plus as the EFF says, it just opens up the possibility that someone at somepoint will let their own biases influence their descision against someone based on non-security related matters.

[Rustyeye77]

6. Let's do what Germany did.

Let in a million refugees and just see what happens.

What could go wrong.

[MyNameGoesHere]

8. I know the

Native Americans did the same thing and that didn't turn out well for them either.

[Rustyeye77]

9. This will be different.

A million refugees will be exciting.