US plans to order foreign tourists to disclose social media histories

Australians, New Zealanders and citizens of 40 other visa-exempt countries must disclose five years' worth of social media history to visit the US, under a Trump administration plan.
Applicants would have to submit other "high-value data fields" including phone numbers from the last five years, email addresses from the past decade, personal details of family members and biometric information.
A number of legal and policy experts told The Washington Post the enhanced vetting measures are the latest attempt by the Trump administration to clamp down on critical online speech.

This sounds rather dictatorial, don't you think.
I am sure many wanna-be visitors will no longer choose the US as their holiday destination.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-11/white-house-plans-social-media-requirement-visa-exempt-countries/106128022

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Kwek00 · 41-45, M

This sounds rather dictatorial, don't you think.

🙄 Gus... this guy was dictatorial 9 years ago. Nothing changed.

For this guy, the concept of "free speech" is just an aesthetic.

And we don't want to stifle anything. We certainly don't want to stifle free speech, but that's no longer free speech. See, I don't think that the mainstream media is free speech either because it's so crooked. It's so dishonest. So to me, free speech is not when you see something good and then you purposely write bad. To me, that's a very dangerous speech, and you become angry at it. But that's not free speech.

- President Donald J. Trump, Social Media Summit 2020, 11th of july 2020

TheSirfurryanimalWales · 61-69, M

Mr. Trump is the greatest President the world has ever seen.
Think that will get me in?
If you want to stop anyone coming in this is a good way to do it.
Those sporting bodies who have awarded global sporting events to the USA may live to regret it.
Perhaps other countries should do the same to US citizens.
When they complain just point out to them why it happened.

Picklebobble2 · 56-60, M

@TheSirfurryanimalWales The only official organisation as questionably corrupt as Trump is ?..... FIFA !!

I think the lights are going out over the U.S

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swirlie · 31-35

This information has already been posted by the Canadian Travel Association upon the advice of the Canadian Federal Government. Canadians have been warned for about 3 months now, that upon crossing the Canada/US border by car, their phone will be searched, the persons in the car will be fingerprinted and if they carry a laptop it will be searched for user content. Winter travel to the US from Canada is down by 35% so far this year and is expected to fall further after Christmas when most snowbirds head south following the Christmas season.

Gusman · 61-69, M

@swirlie Mr Trump is having a real detrimental effect on US' standing across the world.
I understand he needs to vet those coming in but to demand phone numbers from the last five years, email addresses from the past decade, personal details of family members and biometric information and five years' worth of social media data is going beyond the pale.

swirlie · 31-35

@Gusman
...but we have to remember that Trump said he was going to do all this during his 2024 Presidential Campaign and all he's doing is sticking to his word. It's not Trump I'm concerned about, it's the Americans who voted for Trump TWICE and made him President TWICE who have me deeply concerned.

ShenaniganFoodie · 36-40, M

Been to the US 6 times BUT never again

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Gusman · 61-69, M

@ninalanyon Yes. Very difficult to rescind laws.

ninalanyon · 61-69, T

@Gusman It's not just that it is difficult to repeal them, it's also that the next government (of whatever party) will most likely find the laws to be convenient. For the government that is, not the governed.

Gusman · 61-69, M

@ninalanyon I agree. If laws suppress citizens' rights, then governments love them.

TheOneyouwerewarnedabout · 46-50, MVIP

Minority report next..
thought crimes

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