For travel to the United States, please report your accounts of social networks – The Parisian

Thomas Blachère (@TBlachere)

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram… Since the 20th of December, the travellers wishing to visit the United States are “invited” to provide their user names on social networks.

Dince a week, a query, discreetly added in the electronic system for travel authorization (ESTA) in the u.s., invites travellers to the United States to fill in their user names on social networks, according to the news website, Politico. This new request for information remains voluntary, of course, but what a surprise when one knows the intransigence of the u.s. customs and the taste of Washington for the collection of personal information.

The relevant French

passengers affected by this new query are the nationals of 38 countries (including France) benefiting from the visa waiver program for a journey of less than 90 days. These latter are then forced to make a request online via the electronic system for travel authorization (ESTA).

Twitter Google+, through Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, the u.s. administration proposes, therefore, from the 20 December to fill in your login details on at least 13 social networks. “This new measure comes as Washington tries to improve its ability to target and repress individuals with ties to terrorist groups such as the islamic State,” says Politico.

screen Capture of the ESTA form, on-line www.estausa.com/fr

After a proposal filed last June by the u.s. Department of homeland Security, the new query has been harshly criticized across the Atlantic by defenders of individual liberties. The Internet Association, which represents the interests of the giants of the web in america, associated with advocacy groups, citizens, and attempted to stop him before its application. These opponents have denounced the threat that this new demand poses to the freedom of expression and the respect of the privacy of foreign nationals visiting the United States.

“there are very few rules that govern how the information is collected, stored, distributed to other structures, and there is no directive on the restriction of the use of such information by the government,” notes Michael W. Macleod-Ball, of the antenna of Washington of the american Union for civil liberties (ACLU), in an interview with Politico.

Concerns for muslim travellers

These opponents have pointed out the risk that the new query is posed, in particular, on the arab travelers or muslims, “including user names, posts, contacts, and social networks will be exposed to a review to be extremely thorough”.

And make the bet that most of the passengers concerned shall fill in these fields, yet optional, for fear of being bombarded with questions by customs on their arrival on american soil…

leparisien.frThomas Blachère (@TBlachere)