US President Donald Trump plans to introduce an obligation for all foreign tourists to provide data about their social media accounts for the last five years upon entering the US, it was stated in a notice published in the Federal Register.
According to a document from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the request would be mandatory for all new entrants to the country, regardless of whether they are travelers from countries subject to a visa regime or not, writes NBC News.
In addition to social media information, CBP foresees collecting additional data, including email addresses and phone numbers used in the previous five years, as well as addresses and names of family members.
This could also affect citizens of the United Kingdom, Germany, and other countries whose citizens can currently travel to the United States without a visa, using only the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
The Department of Homeland Security did not comment on the proposal.
The public has 60 days to submit their comments, the notice stated.
Earlier this year, the State Department already introduced an obligation for applicants for certain types of visas to make their social media profiles public, which the Electronic Frontier Foundation called “unprecedented” and stated that it was aimed at monitoring foreign students.
Last week, an expansion of online presence monitoring was also announced for applicants for H-1B visas, temporary work visas for specialized professions, such as IT, medicine, science, and engineering.
Since Trump’s return to the White House in January, the State Department has also attempted to revoke visas for some individuals who participated in protests over the war in Gaza.
The administration also announced a further tightening of legal immigration policies after an Afghan national was charged with shooting two National Guard members in Washington last month, with the suspect pleading not guilty.
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Source: B92; Photo: AP/Alex Brandon