Tightening planned for tourists Will US authorities soon be checking your Instagram?
Anyone wishing to enter the USA as a tourist in future may have to disclose their social media history. This is not the only tightening of the rules demanded by the US Border Patrol.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- If the US Customs and Border Protection Agency has its way, social media history over a period of five years will in future be disclosed in an Esta application for tourists.
- It will also be mandatory to provide further sensitive data.
- If the proposed changes come into force, this would further weaken the already suffering tourism industry in the USA.
Post critical of Trump on Instagram? Anyone planning a stay in the USA in the future may soon have to worry about past posts on social media. If the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has its way, tourists entering the country with an Esta application will have to disclose their social media history in future.
Visitors would then have to make their posts from the last five years available to border officials, according to a proposed amendment submitted by the CBP.
In addition to the mandatory disclosure of social media history, the proposals for the motion also include so-called "high value data elements", i.e. ultimately sensitive data. This includes the person's telephone numbers and email addresses from the last five years as well as the names and dates of birth of close family members, including their places of birth, places of residence and telephone numbers from the last five years.
Data collection for tourists?
This tightening of the rules would affect all visitors who come to the USA with the electronic Esta application, including visitors from Switzerland. The application enables visa-free approval for tourists and business travelers from more than 40 countries that are part of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The stay in the USA is thus permitted for a maximum of 90 days.
The US authorities justify the planned change with the "protection of the USA from foreign terrorists and other threats to national security and public safety". The document is not legally binding, but will initially be open to discussion following its publication in the Federal Register.
Drastic impact on tourism
The plan would have a massive impact on tourism in the USA, tourism organizations warn. For example, the USA will be hosting the World Cup next year together with Canada and Mexico. Many fans are expected to attend the tournament.
During Trump's second term in office, the number of tourists has already fallen dramatically as the president has pursued a draconian policy towards immigrants. Recent measures include stopping all asylum applications from more than 30 countries.
Back in August, it became known that the US government had greatly expanded its screening of visa holders. According to a report in the Washington Post, millions of people who are already in the USA were scrutinized - with an intensive look at their online activities. The background to this was the intention to revoke visas if there were indications of overstaying or criminal activity.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had also announced that it would check immigrants for possible "anti-American" comments on the internet when they apply.
With material from dpa.
