:D!

Umm, because a random guy on the internet doesn't know where you physically are and doesn't have possession of your government-issued ID and a few bags of your belongings. The random guy also doesn't have the power to detain/deport you and/or disrupt your travel and work plans for the next 10 years. The random guy is probably not trying to incriminate you based on something innocuous that you wrote in the past.

TiberiusOnTime

Ohh....you'd be surprised! Facebook as we all know, is not the poster child of security and privacy by any means. Someone trying to get a raise by playing hero, is bound to "find ways" to look where they are not supposed to. The question is not if but how often will it happen.

Since this is an option, let's hope people refuse to give their info.

televisor

So, when will this become mandatory?

maniac78

I've just signed up for deeznutz on facebook

Fredrik74

Not sure it will be voluntary much longer.

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/29/po...cts/index.html

televisor

Umm, disclosing ALL the sites I visit and ALL my contacts is going to be a difficult and lengthy process. More importantly it's impossible because my browsing history is spread across different devices (and my phone doesn't even store more than about 1 month of history...).

Or do they just mean that you everyone will have to unlock their phone at the border to let CBP search them? How will that scale?

Either way, good luck getting many people to visit the USA if that happens.

Fredrik74

I kind of think that's the point.

televisor

That's really going to help business deals, like that Iranian deal to buy Boeings.

Except now business leaders from around the world won't travel to the US.

zebes

As seen in the WSJ this morning:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-a...ing-1491303602

"Foreigners who want to visit the U.S., even for a short trip, could be forced to disclose contacts on their mobile phones, social-media passwords and financial records, and to answer probing questions about their ideology, according to Trump administration officials conducting a review of vetting procedures.

The administration also wants to subject more visa applicants to intense security reviews and have embassies spend more time interviewing each applicant. The changes could apply to people from all over the world, including allies like France and Germany."

I don't think airlines, tourism industry, etc. are going to be big fans of this.

TWA884

I've merged your thread into an existing thread discussing this topic.

TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator

GUWonder

There has been increased checking of the data of US persons' electronic devices by CBP too. DHS has paid up money for stuff it wants to use, and so it will do this more and more -- and not just to visitors to the US. Tools applicable to foreign visitors to the US won't all be inapplicable to US citizens, even as US nationals won't be required to fill in forms submitting this same information.

tanja

Question ! They can only ask these questions if you travel with mobile phone or/and laptop. Not if you dont travel with it?

ShutteLag

If fully implemented, won't countries like Brazil and Russia return the favor by treating arriving US citizens the same way? Those two countries have traditionally used reciprocity to counter anything the US government does to their citizens visiting the US. I don't know which is worse, giving my password to agents of the US CBP or the Russian authorities?

wolf72

UK tourists to US may get asked to hand in passwords or be denied entry

Link: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...e-denied-entry

British travellers to the United States face the uncomfortable choice of handing over personal information, including social media passwords and mobile phone contacts, or running the risk of being denied entry to the country, under a new “extreme vetting” policy being considered by the Trump administration.

To read the full article, click on lonk above.

***Why issue a traveller a visa after the face to face interview, and review of all financial documentations and review of a person's background and making them pay for the visa, and for the passenger to buy his/her tickets, hotels and plan a holiday only to ruin it upon arrival. Totally unneccessary ......... Won't travel to the US nor will I be sending any of my employees for meetings there anymore. Skype will do just fine.**

Tisbutascratch

The first time little Johnny is told to hand over his Facebook password...

... will get an awful lot of publicity.