back to article Visiting America? US border agents want your Twitter, Facebook URLs

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 …

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    1. Dave 15

      Re: Ah the joys of CBP

      2 hours, only 2 hours, you were in one of their efficient airports.

      Going into seatac a few years back (with family... including 4 year old) we spent 11 hours in immigration... one massive queue of several jumbos and one guy... as usual reading not just the green card answers but each question in case he had forgotten.

      They eventually added one more guy... but ONLY the people from the next plane were allowed to go to that queue.... the rest of us had to stay obediently in line... they have NO idea (government employees are the thickest in the world).

      But, yes, we have our own hell hole airports... anyone been through Stansted recently? They moved the passport control BACK because the queues were so long... no, they didn't add more people, or faster kit, or anything, just made the queue space bigger. Thus they can get a full 4 hours worth of queue in the arrivals hall (they leave any more on the plane... ever wondered why it takes so long to get the stairs sometimes?).

      The input to Stansted is also all messed up. The queues for the scanners are so so long (especially on Friday evening) that they have installed metal barriers and more queue pointers (no, they still only man upto 40% of the scanners, never any more). Of course you might say this is safer than letting anyone on the plane, but those queuing have rucksacks on, suitcases... none of which have been checked at this point. Everyone hemmed in by metal barriers and one way gates... no escape... lovely terrorist target.

  1. Bob 18

    Is this so wrong-headed?

    Sorry, I'm with the Feds on this one. LA isn't so desperate for cash that we need obnoxious morons like that Irish kid in our country. Let him come back when he's a little more mature and ready to take things more seriously --- and less likely to "destroy" something, such as a car, a random pedestrian, a plate glass window, someone's head with a beer bottle, etc.

    Many claims are made here that people don't publish nefarious activity on their Facebook pages. But experience with people who have committed violent, heinous crimes shows that's not true. After most big shooting, a look at the perp's FB page reveals shocking stuff. Rarely does violence just come "out of nowhere." Moreover, friends don't lie: the Feds can tell a lot about you from the company you keep. If half of your best friends are on a Terrorism Watch List, then that will raise a big red flag --- regardless of what you do or do not say on FB.

    If you don't want government official trolling your social media accounts... then don't post on social media. Privacy is still a right, albeit one that people seem more than willing to give up for next to nothing.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Is this so wrong-headed?

      If you don't want government official trolling your social media accounts... then don't post on social media.

      Yep, I'd agree with you on that front. Now, perhaps you'd like to consider this. Do they take a declaration of "I don't use social media" on face value, or are you required to prove beyond all reasonable doubt?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Is this so wrong-headed?

        Yeah no social media, no newspaper articles, no blogs no free expression, no free expression at all.

        It's called a "chilling effect" and many of us are getting cold.

        So now everything you read or write can be scrutinized by some brain-dead stormtrooper on a cold, rainy night. Make a noise, stand up for your rights, and miss your flight.... ahh the sweet air of freedom..... It's so good to be home.

    2. Bloodbeastterror

      Re: Is this so wrong-headed?

      "a look at the perp's FB page reveals shocking stuff"

      So, with the massive computing power of the NSA/FBI computers, and the fact that they have unfettered access to all data, public or otherwise, why aren't they picking these nutcases off the street for investigation *before* they commit their atrocities?

      And yet they deliberately and stupidly misinterpret an innocent (if misguided) attempt at juvenile humour to the point that they kick the author out of their country? Really...?

      I know that this unbelievable level of imbecility isn't confined to the US (we had our own "Robin Hood Airport" event a couple of years ago) but really, *must* they be so wilfully cretinous?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Is this so wrong-headed?

        Government service "Orientation" includes a compulsory trepanning and/or frontal lobotomy; which is why so many of them come across as dumb-fucks.

        Ré an earlier post about China being more respectful of visitors privacy - that may well be the truth; on my visits to China I have always been treated with respect at the airports, even when my suitcase set off their chemical explosives detector they were almost apologetic about asking to search it.

        (It was some Cheddar cheese I was smuggling in, as the only cheese I had found on previous trips was yank muck).

      2. Dave 15

        Re: Is this so wrong-headed?

        but really, *must* they be so wilfully cretinous?

        I think you misunderstand, I don't think this is an intelligent person deciding to be a cretinous obstructive .... I think these people really are cretins.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Is this so wrong-headed?

      @ "LA isn't so desperate for cash that we need obnoxious morons like that Irish kid in our country."

      No, its already has its share of intolerant obnoxious people, Bob. It doesn't need any more of you.

      "Many claims are made here that people don't publish nefarious activity on their Facebook pages. But experience with people who have committed violent, heinous crimes shows that's not true."

      aka "Hindsight bias", whenever there's a crime, they go look at everything said and re-interpret it in the light of the new deed. So if this guy got into trouble, people like you would interpret "trash LA" literally, even if at the time its clearly meant metaphorically.

      This is the "speech as terror" meme. If your algorithms cannot identify outliers that are domestic terrorists & criminals, you make the output of your filter the crime. Here their filter cannot determine metaphors, so the metaphor is treated as literal and a "speech = deed = crime" rule applied.

      Today its applies to British allies, tomorrow it will apply to Americans, i.e. you.

      TSA: "watch what you say Americans, if you want to cross a border, your words might count against you."

  2. John Tserkezis

    What if I have no accounts with Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn?

    Will the cavity searches continue as per normal?

    1. MrDamage Silver badge

      Re: What if I have no accounts with Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn?

      Yes, they will continue, but you will have to be satisfied with just one or two fingers up, instead of the horde of thumbs up your comments may bring.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    'murican airports

    Decide to go on holiday to America.

    Plane lands at JFK airport, all the American passengers start clapping as the plane comes to a stop GOOD JAAAB, GOOD JAAAB CLAPCLAPCLAP.

    Hamburgers start falling out of the overhead compartments. American passengers start paying tips to the other passengers based on their in-flight performance. Clapping intensifies fireworks and streamers burst everywhere.

    F*ck this, quickly make my way to the exit of the plane other amiercans also making way to the exit they see the captain "GOOD JAAAB, YOU WERE GREAT, AMAZING FLIGHT SIR, GOOD JAAAAAB".

    Enter the terminal building hamburger music starts playing greeted by an immigration officer he already knows my name, age, address and the exact time (to the second) i took my last shit because NSA.

    Still hear faint clapping and screams of "good jaaaab" coming from down the other way. The immigration officer says i need a cavity search he sticks his fat sausage fingers into my arse i'm in so much pain, his fingers are easily as girthy as a pringles tin.

    OK SIR, GOOD JAAAB WE'RE ALL CLEAR HERE hands me a 20% tip. Walk out of the cavity search room and are greeted to a round of applause from a group of overweight americcans GOOOOOD JAAAAAB.

    1. sjaddy
      Trollface

      Re: 'murican airports

      Think Freud would have great fun with your dreams!

    2. Dave 15

      Re: 'murican airports

      Problem is... decide to have holiday in New Zealand, don't pay quite enough attention and find that the plane stops for fuel... go through the whole rigmarole above to stand in a room (without even a coffee) for half a hour before being herded back to the plane... ok I guess the concrete room is literally in America, but really? Not even an exit door for emergencies!

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I think it'll be okay...

    ...As long as they don't think to ask about my El Reg username.

    1. Dan 55 Silver badge

      Re: I think it'll be okay...

      Oh, don't worry. They don't do https so it's easy for a gov resolve your email address to your El Reg username. And the posting history is wide open to everyone anyway, no need to be logged in first to read it.

  5. bombastic bob Silver badge

    because, you can't "profile" a terrorist

    Why act so insane?

    Because they're PROBABLY under orders to inspect ANYONE and EVERYONE in unnecessarily intrusive ways, if there's any truth to ANY of this. Because, Obaka. Because, political correctness. Because, special rights for Islam, because it's NOT christianity. Because, you can't just ask someone coming in from a primarily Islamic country with a lot of ISIS activity about their religion or look them in the eyes to see if they MIGHT be terrorists, so you have to feel up granny and little 2 year old Suzie for IEDs, and leave the women in burkas and long-bearded men in turbans completely untouched, because, political correctness.

    Yeah, I plan on voting for Trump, so maybe the insanity will stop, and we can star screening SPECIFIC PEOPLE instead of EVERYONE, and if that means PROFILING, so freaking what.

    On behalf of SANE Americans, I apologize for their rudeness.

    (or you can just LIE and say how you NEVER use faceb[ook,itch] or tw[i,a]tter because they are LAME cesspits of wasted bandwidth, INVASIVE of your privacy, and BENEATH YOU. (I could say that, it's true!)

    1. GrumpenKraut

      Re: because, you can't "profile" a terrorist

      > ... I plan on voting for Trump, so maybe the insanity will stop...

      Uhm, I am afraid you got something wrong here.

    2. Mark 85

      Re: because, you can't "profile" a terrorist

      Er... yes. One can't profile here in the States as it's not politically correct and if it was done, the "racist" card will be played and the media and the SJW's will jump all over it.

      One of hallmarks of Israel's airport security at one time (maybe still is) was to profile. Watch how they act, etc. Instead here in the States, it's equal harassment for all.

  6. Public Citizen

    And what if you are one of the curmudgeons who view "social media" as an utter and complete waste of time and therefore don't use it?

    Given the propensity for the succeeding generation to reject what was popular with the previous generation what's going to be the response when the current infatuation burns out and Facebook et al implodes?

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Devil

    Should we give 'em also our commentard link?

    US border controls could learn a lot reading them...

  8. The Boojum

    The Land of the Free™*

    *Terms and Conditions Apply

  9. Alan Davies

    But my social name isn't my real name

    What's preventing me from not declaring this information?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: But my social name isn't my real name

      They already have all your accounts, they are just checking to see if you are honest enough to declare them/double check they havent missed anything.

      Besides, how much damage could foreign terrorists do, compared to the daily slaughter of innocents by their own gun-crazed citizens??

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: But my social name isn't my real name

      My MIL had an old friend tell her at the age of 75 or so, "I'm not who you think I am".

      Smuggled out of the Ghetto in Eastern Europe as a toddler apparently. You know, the ones guarded with barbed wire, Alsatians, guns and so on.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Last minute addition

    They've found where the real subversives hang out and want your Register username as well.

  11. AndrueC Silver badge
    Joke

    So, the message I'm getting is that having that entry 'Contract Killer' on my LinkedIn profile could be a problem.

    1. Mark 85
      Coat

      No... that's ok. Now if it was "freelance terror monger and paedo" you might have a problem.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    this is worrying

    I have no (...) "social media presence" officer.

    Ah, well, step over to this side sir, take a sit on this chair, we need to do a couple of extra checks, nothing to worry about, it will only take a couple of hours... Oh no, don't worry, you'll have a guaranteed flight back on the next available flight. Enjoy US of A while you can...

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    and I note

    that two years ago you spent well over 10 minutes on that whatdoyoucallit online blog, the rugister or something, and then you posted a snarky comment on certain attributes of the Department of Homeland Security's approach to inspecting the "social media identifiers". Moreover, you have NOT disclosed the fact in the I-94 form the abovementioned activity, claiming instead, I quote, "none". This is in direct breach of (...) and therefore (...). Next!

  14. PassiveSmoking

    Why is American security so depending on reading about how much I hate First Bus?

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    servers many purposes....

    1. Gives people the impression something is being done against terrorism

    2. Helps to fill blank spots in the databases that keep track of your associations and political opinions

    3. Enforces the belief that an online presence is required for a trustworthy identity

    4. Reinforces the fear of terrorism and further legitimises invasion of privacy

    5. Gives US goverment a tool to implement foreign policy. E.g. Customs to harass citizens of countries that won't allow US spooks to access their datacentres

    6. Probes the water - on exactly how much people are willing to put up with.

    7. Demonstrates power - e.g. Making people comply - despite everyone knowing how irrelevant these methods are in fighting terrorism

    1. boatsman

      Re: servers many purposes.... == whatsapp already did

      that :

      your phonebook is whatsapp's, and thus the USA government agencies already have

      the social fabric of 700 million ppl PLUS their phonebook connections:

      practically, that is everyone.......

      wether you use whatsapp or not, does not matter. someone else has you in their phonebook who does.....

  16. Baldy50

    Brill!

    Well I don't need to bother commenting on this issue as anyone who has read any of my posts it would be obvious as to my thoughts on this subject, but I have however enjoyed reading yours.

    On topic I'd be more worried about an employer wanting that info!

  17. hi_robb

    All I can say is.

    #Fuckoff

  18. Nameless Faceless Computer User

    ... because terrorists would obviously announce their evil intentions on their Twitter feed before crossing the boarder.

  19. Ol'Peculier
    Pint

    "Have you ever participated in persecutions directed by the Nazi government or Germany; or have you ever participated in genocide?"

    There is also the "are you travelling to the USA to commit an act of terrorism?". As for the ESTA, I came back from Canada last year via O'Hare and had to complete, and pay for, it and I never left the airport.

    I love America, have stayed with friends in various states, but going through immigration gives me the creeps every time - I was even asked once which states I was visiting. Not easy when doing a coast-to-coast road trip, we hit 14 of 'em.

    because it's driven me to it as soon as out of the airport......------>

  20. Robert E A Harvey

    which ones

    I have 4 twitter accounts, one of which I only use for recieving winter driving condition reports, and it would not be hard to make more than on Fzcebook account

  21. goodjudge

    Twatter and US border staff

    Two organisations to which the words "rational thought" and "common sense" are utterly unknown. In combination, what could possibly go wrong?

  22. boatsman

    naturally, criminals / terrorists are not

    going to get caught by their own admission.

    the sole purpose of the questions on admission / visa requests is to force the criminal/terrorist to tell lies. Lying is not allowed, and thus the USA has a legal ground to deport or arrest the person.

    the social media handle is just another addition: we do or do not like you, but we certainly do not like your facebook friends....

  23. Keith Glass
    Trollface

    When can us Yanks. . .

    . . . .vote for DHSexit ???

    1. Updraft102

      Re: When can us Yanks. . .

      When can us vote for anything?

  24. Michael Habel

    Did I miss the law...

    That states that I can only have the One SMA, and that I shall sell my entire life to it peacemeal? Or had they arseclowns even co soldered the fact that I could have a SMA dedicated to Fluffy Kittens, and another which shall not be disclosed, for internal use only?

  25. SoloSK71
    FAIL

    Logical impossibilities

    How do you *prove* you *do not* have one of these (or even any) social media accounts?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Unhappy

      Re: Logical impossibilities

      You can't prove it, therefore you must be lying and hence a terrorist.

  26. Kane
    Facepalm

    So....

    "It will be an optional data field to request social media identifiers to be used for vetting purposes, as well as applicant contact information,"

    Uh-huh.

    "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."

    But doesn't this require the bad guys™ to fill in your "optional" data fields? Who are, by definition, bad guys™ and so are less likely to provide that information. Which means the only info you have is on law abiding citizens.

    "But, but...."

    Yeah, I know, they might not always be law abiding citizens, in which case you've got the jump on them.

  27. Updraft102

    I feel much safer knowing this.

    We all know those terrorists are using social media to promote their cause and communicate with one another. Now those terrorists are going to be identified and caught before they can do anything. It's foolproof!

    I mean, It's not like they could come here and *not* give the agents the names of the terrorist Twitter accounts they've used, right? We could just ask them if they are coming here to blow things up or shoot a bunch of people, which seemed like the perfect solution for a while, but eventually someone realized that the terrorists could lie about it. But the thing about asking about social media-- it's genius, because no terrorists are going to think to lie about THAT. They wouldn't begin to have the wherewithal to make a dummy Twitter or Facebook account just to give to the government goons.

    /eyeroll

    It's all security theater... of the absurd.

  28. Anonymous Coward
    Mushroom

    Dear Mexico,

    Could you please just make sure that wall goes all the way round?

  29. chivo243 Silver badge

    I have none of these

    I don't have a login for FB Twitter, LI. How can I prove that I don't go in for this sort of horseplay?

    Is our beloved El Reg forum a social notworking?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I have none of these

      Not exactly social as nobody wants anybody else on their lawn. It's networking though.

  30. Aodhhan

    What, so they can blame another Benghazi on one of our videos?

    This is what we need, to have a political party which lies, misleads and insists everyone else is uneducated and clueless wants to get access to my social media. Yeah, that's great.

    The next time a terrorist does something, they can then randomly find something on your Facebook, Twitter, etc. page and blame it on the video you posted of your child playing baseball instead of soccer.

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