Starting this week, U.S. authorities will require certain visitors to the U.S. to provide social media information to assist authorities in identifying potential terrorist threats.
In June of this year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) proposed adding an optional question to travel authorization application forms, allowing applicants to voluntarily provide social media accounts. The Office of Management and Budget approved this additional question. This new policy applies only to visitors entering the U.S. temporarily through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
Only information publicly visible on the social media accounts provided by applicants will be viewable by CBP officers. Applicants will not be asked for any information that violates privacy regulations or policies.
On the ESTA form, applicants may choose not to fill in this question regarding social media accounts. Furthermore, this change applies only to visitors from the 38 visa-waiver countries.
According to Politico, this change took effect on Tuesday. U.S. Customs and Border Protection stated that it will not deny entry requests for foreign travelers who refuse to submit any social media information.
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