Today, the Trump administration has released a new counter-proposal. It requires that foreign travelers from 42 visa-waiver countries submit their last five years of social media activity prior to being allowed to enter the United States. As you can imagine, this plan is intended to further strain entry restrictions into the country. It affects bona fide travelers from countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Australia, and Japan, whose citizens today still have the benefit of visa-free short visits.
Under the proposed regulations, applicants are required to provide extensive social media records. In addition, they’ll need to report out a number of other key data fields. You may see phone numbers entered for the past five years populating these fields. They hold email addresses of 10 years previous, personal information about relatives, and biometric data. The Federal Register publication of the proposal made it official on Tuesday. The public now has 60 days to submit their comments on the pilot.
The move by the Trump administration is seen as part of a broader crackdown on migration to the United States. To date, critics have warned of the damaging effects of imposing such strict requirements. Liberal senator James Paterson expressed skepticism about the potential for individuals to manipulate their social media presence ahead of travel.
“People might delete negative social media posts about US President Donald Trump before arriving,” – James Paterson.
He further emphasized the autonomy of each nation regarding its immigration policies, stating, “The immigration policies of the United States government really are a matter for the United States, just as Australia’s immigration policy is a matter for us.” He added, “It’s not up to me to tell the US government what they can and can’t do when they screen visa applicants.”
The administration’s plan to collect all-encompassing information is alarming, both in terms of invasion of privacy and the possible ramifications for international travel. The Trump administration has taken unprecedented steps to rebuild our national security. It is also moving forward with tougher foreign entrant measures.
