Tourists to US would have to reveal five years of social media activity under new Trump plan

"All tourists to the United States would have to reveal their social media activity from the last five years, under new Trump administration plans. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), an agency under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), would also require any email addresses and telephone numbers visitors have used in the same period, and the names and addresses of family. The proposal was published on Tuesday in a Federal Register notice, the official publication of the US government, put out daily."

"It would apply to people of all countries, regardless of whether they require visas or are currently permitted to complete an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (Esta) instead. That includes visitors from Britain, Australia, Germany and Japan, who are not required to get a tourist visa before visiting the US. The notice gives members of the public two months to comment. DHS did not respond to media outlets' requests for comment."

"The plan would throw a wrench into the soccer World Cup, which the US is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico next year and would normally be expected to draw huge numbers of visitors. Tourism to the US has already dropped dramatically in Trump's second term, as the president has pushed a draconian crackdown on immigrants, including recent moves to ban all asylum claims and stop migration entirely from more than 30 countries."

Customs and Border Protection would require all US visitors to disclose five years of social media activity, email addresses, telephone numbers, and family names and addresses. The proposal was published in the Federal Register and makes these disclosures mandatory for entry. The requirement would apply to travelers from all countries, including ESTA-eligible Britain, Australia, Germany and Japan. The notice allows two months for public comment; DHS did not respond to requests. The measure could disrupt events such as the soccer World Cup. Tourism has fallen, with California expecting a 9% drop and Hollywood Boulevard a 50% fall; Canadian car and air trips dropped 36.9% and 25.8%.

Read at www.theguardian.com