Posted on 06/27/2016 9:34:51 PM PDT by nickcarraway
It'll be optional for now. Next: your browser history
The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency wants to collect links to social network accounts of people visiting the Land of the FreeTM.
Under new proposals, each traveler filling out an I-94 travel form or applying for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) visa will be asked for "information associated with your online presence/social media identifier."
In other words, you'll be asked to hand over your Twitter and Instagram handles, Facebook and LinkedIn URLs, and so on, so you can be watched.
"It will be an optional data field to request social media identifiers to be used for vetting purposes, as well as applicant contact information," the proposal states.
"Collecting social media data will enhance the existing investigative process and provide DHS [Department of Homeland Security] greater clarity and visibility to possible nefarious activity and connections by providing an additional tool set which analysts and investigators may use to better analyze and investigate the case."
The CBP already does some social media monitoring of incoming travelers, as was shown in 2012 when two visitors were detained on arrival and held for questioning, before being deported 12 hours later, because of comments one of them had made on Twitter.
Irish national Leigh Van Bryan was flying into Los Angeles with British friend Emily Bunting and was pulled over for questioning based on a tweet Van Bryan had made before the flight, in which he said "Free this week, for quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America."
He also joked online, three weeks before his trip, that the duo were going to be "totally in LA p*ssing people off on Hollywood Blvd and diggin' Marilyn Monroe up!"
The two protested that "destroy" was meant as a term for partying to excess, and said that they had no intention of digging up the decaying beauty queen. Van Bryan claims a customs officer told him "You've really f***ed up with that tweet, boy," he told British tabloid The Sun.
Similar mistakes are likely if customs officers start trawling through the social media postings, not to mention the limited utility of such searches. It's almost inconceivable that any terrorist harboring murderous ambitions would be posting messages on social media about it, and then would hand over the details of that account to customs.
Then again, those familiar with I-94 forms will remember it included the question, "Have you ever participated in persecutions directed by the Nazi government or Germany; or have you ever participated in genocide?" The CBP has never admitted it caught repentant aging Nazis in this way, but it seems unlikely.
The new CBP proposal for social media isn't set in stone yet, and people can object to the plans within the next 60 days before a final decision is made.
Dystopian
I would be willing to bet that if they said they were on FR, it wouldn’t even take 12 hours to deport them.
This is just like the news from China 4 weeks ago that they will assign a dynamic number to each citizen which quantifies how reliable and pliant they are as a citizen, a political version of a credit score for each citizen.
We are becoming a world where if one does not have Facebook or Twitter they are persona non grata.
Damn we have some morons in control who don't have a shred of common sense.
I’ve come to the conclusion that any corporation that provides a free on-line social environment should be held to the same rules as government - meaning free speech rules, it may not be censored.
a customs officer called him ‘boy’ ? I don’t think so...
it’s amusing how various agencies are taking Trump’s ideas and running with them. Of course, Zero will try to take credit for it.
It’ll be optional for now.
First, it was voluntary. The next thing you know the form has a warning that it is MANDATORY that you provide this information under penalty of law.
ALL GOVERNMENT INTRUSION BEGINS WITH THE WORD “OPTIONAL.”
What to do?
We had a murdering terrorist (San Bernadino) enter the US and we find out later she was posting freely her terrorist support and advocating jihad (http://www.breitbart.com/california/2015/12/14/report-u-s-missed-terrorists-social-media-posts-jihad/).
After the attack, wails of outrage that we weren’t even checking her social media for posts that would show terrorist sympathies and action.
Now CBP is cleared to check social networks of foreign visitors and we are not happy.
Like I said, what to do?
What to do, either we check foreign visitor posts on social networks or we don’t.
I think they are talking about visa visitors, and please see Post 12.
The census is the census, the ACS is what you are referring to. They are totally different.
I’ve had the ACS arrive in the post and refused to answer any questions.
Indeed, and agree with the ‘boy’ thing. This isn’t the 50’s.
Brits freely use impressions from movies and shows.
Still applies. It’s almost useless to ask for information like that no matter what reason they come over here for. Most foreigners think Americans are idiots and looking at our track record and the politician’s solutions they offer I’d say they’re probably correct. I don’t think most will really provide the correct info. I work on cases where illegals provide false ID or borrow someone else’s pretty often. I’ve seen illegals destroy people’s credit by buying things on credit under the victim’s SSN and then not paying the bill. Also seen them use other’s SSN for employment, not pay their taxes then stick the victim with thousands of dollars of back taxes and have the IRS garnish the victim’s bank accounts. I’ve seen a Mexican woman use 4 different udentities to milk the welfare system so she oesnt have to work then lie to my face about it while I’m holding 4 ID cards with her face and 4 different names that all tie back to addresses where she’s lived or had cousins that lived there. I’ve seen them providing false ID including a fake driver’s license then killing a teen because they were driving drunk.
The illegals don’t have the best track record when it comes to telling the truth. And this isn’t a slam against Hispanics. It’s about leeches who are abusing the system. You see my son dates a beautiful, intelligent, tax paying Hispanic female who has been gainfully employed by the school system for many years. I respect her and hope she will be my daughter-in-law some day so it’s not about racism.
Tourist and immigrant visas. . .not illegal aliens.
One thing terrorists do well is telegraph and brag about what they feel, plan and do.
Not 100% accurate but an improvement. . .to check open posts.
So what, we are talking about non-immigrant aliens here. US citizens and returning resident aliens don't fill out an I-94.
The question is how effective this could be and the answer is not much. The alien can write in what ever they want (or nothing at all) and the government has no way to verify it.
Its just silly.
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