US Customs may start asking about social media account details when travelling

By Think Marketing Social Media
1 Min Read
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers check passenger's identification at a security checkpoint at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015. Financing for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is set to lapse after Friday and the agency would face a partial shutdown unless Congress provides new money. More than 200,000 government employees deemed essential at DHS, including TSA officers, would still have to report to their posts, even though their pay would stop unless Congress finds a solution. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The US government is proposing making social media accounts part of the visa screening process for entry into the country. US Customs and Border Protection’s proposed change would add a line on both the online and paper forms of the visa application form that visitors to the US must fill out if they do not have a visa and are planning on staying for up to 90 days.

US border guards may require your Facebook and Twitter accounts before letting you in

The Department of Homeland Security has proposed that all travellers be asked to provide their social media details before entering the country. The US Department of Homeland Security has proposed social media vetting as an additional step for anyone seeking a visa or an Esta (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation).

Also Read: CIA launch official Twitter account using the intelligence way!

In a notice published in the Federal Register last week, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) division of the DHS said that it wanted to add a line to Form I-94W, which is the form used by people who enter the U.S. on the Visa Waiver Program that lets people from certain countries visit the U.S. for 90 days without a visa. The line would say, “Please enter information associated with your online presence—Provider/Platform—Social media identifier.”

The new data field would be optional, according to the DHS’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency, which posted its request to the Federal Register on Thursday.

The DHS proposal is open for public comment until 22 August.

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