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Reporter notes that proposed change to visa forms, as phrased, could include: Twitter handle, the url for your Facebook page, OkCupid or Grindr handle, Instagram account, Tumblr, Vine account, Snapchat, Reddit account, Pinterest page, PornHub account, "and any random messaging forums in which you take part." (Photo: Chris Hondros/Getty Images)
Travel Alert: US Border Agents Want to Know What You've Been Doing on Social Media
Department of Homeland Security says collecting social media data will "provide greater clarity and visibility to possible nefarious activity"
Jun 29, 2016
File this under Another Unsettling Development: People who want to travel to the United States may soon have their Facebook profiles and other social media accounts "vetted" by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) before entering.
A proposed change to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and to Form I-94W posted to the government's Federal Register last week suggests adding the following question: "Please enter information associated with your online presence--Provider/Platform--Social media identifier."
These forms are filled out by all international travelers who wish to travel to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program.
The report states that this would be an "optional data field to request social media identifiers to be used for vetting purposes, as well as applicant contact information."
"Collecting social media data will enhance the existing investigative process and provide DHS greater clarity and visibility to possible nefarious activity and connections by providing an additional tool set which analysts and investigators may use to better analyze and investigate the case," the department further notes.
As Fusion reporter Kashmir Hill wrote, this overly broad request raises many questions for travelers.
"As phrased that could include your Twitter handle, the url for your Facebook page, your OkCupid or Grindr handle, your Instagram account, your Tumblr, your Vine account, your Snapchat, your Reddit account, your Pinterest page, your PornHub account, and any random messaging forums in which you take part," Hill said. "Where does it end? Must you include an account if it's private?"
Joseph Lorenzo Hall, chief technologist with The Center for Democracy & Technology, who first drew attention to the change, told the BBC that he hopes that U.S. government "rethinks" the proposal.
"Democracy in general requires having spaces free from government scrutiny and increasingly social life happens online," Hall said. "We would have a poor society if people were chilled from participating in social activity online so I really hope they rethink this."
For what it's worth, the government is accepting comment on this proposal for the next 59 days.
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
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Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
File this under Another Unsettling Development: People who want to travel to the United States may soon have their Facebook profiles and other social media accounts "vetted" by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) before entering.
A proposed change to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and to Form I-94W posted to the government's Federal Register last week suggests adding the following question: "Please enter information associated with your online presence--Provider/Platform--Social media identifier."
These forms are filled out by all international travelers who wish to travel to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program.
The report states that this would be an "optional data field to request social media identifiers to be used for vetting purposes, as well as applicant contact information."
"Collecting social media data will enhance the existing investigative process and provide DHS greater clarity and visibility to possible nefarious activity and connections by providing an additional tool set which analysts and investigators may use to better analyze and investigate the case," the department further notes.
As Fusion reporter Kashmir Hill wrote, this overly broad request raises many questions for travelers.
"As phrased that could include your Twitter handle, the url for your Facebook page, your OkCupid or Grindr handle, your Instagram account, your Tumblr, your Vine account, your Snapchat, your Reddit account, your Pinterest page, your PornHub account, and any random messaging forums in which you take part," Hill said. "Where does it end? Must you include an account if it's private?"
Joseph Lorenzo Hall, chief technologist with The Center for Democracy & Technology, who first drew attention to the change, told the BBC that he hopes that U.S. government "rethinks" the proposal.
"Democracy in general requires having spaces free from government scrutiny and increasingly social life happens online," Hall said. "We would have a poor society if people were chilled from participating in social activity online so I really hope they rethink this."
For what it's worth, the government is accepting comment on this proposal for the next 59 days.
Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
File this under Another Unsettling Development: People who want to travel to the United States may soon have their Facebook profiles and other social media accounts "vetted" by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) before entering.
A proposed change to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and to Form I-94W posted to the government's Federal Register last week suggests adding the following question: "Please enter information associated with your online presence--Provider/Platform--Social media identifier."
These forms are filled out by all international travelers who wish to travel to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program.
The report states that this would be an "optional data field to request social media identifiers to be used for vetting purposes, as well as applicant contact information."
"Collecting social media data will enhance the existing investigative process and provide DHS greater clarity and visibility to possible nefarious activity and connections by providing an additional tool set which analysts and investigators may use to better analyze and investigate the case," the department further notes.
As Fusion reporter Kashmir Hill wrote, this overly broad request raises many questions for travelers.
"As phrased that could include your Twitter handle, the url for your Facebook page, your OkCupid or Grindr handle, your Instagram account, your Tumblr, your Vine account, your Snapchat, your Reddit account, your Pinterest page, your PornHub account, and any random messaging forums in which you take part," Hill said. "Where does it end? Must you include an account if it's private?"
Joseph Lorenzo Hall, chief technologist with The Center for Democracy & Technology, who first drew attention to the change, told the BBC that he hopes that U.S. government "rethinks" the proposal.
"Democracy in general requires having spaces free from government scrutiny and increasingly social life happens online," Hall said. "We would have a poor society if people were chilled from participating in social activity online so I really hope they rethink this."
For what it's worth, the government is accepting comment on this proposal for the next 59 days.
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LATEST NEWS
NATO Chief Rebuffs Trump's Attempt to Use Alliance to Help US Take Greenland
"Trump is causing a completely unforced recession, the markets tanking, and your 401(k)s plummeting, and he's focused on invading Greenland," said one observer.
Mar 13, 2025
North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Mark Rutte met with President Donald Trump on Thursday at the White House in Washington, D.C., where he brushed off the Republican leader's suggestion that the transatlantic alliance might get involved in his quixotic bid to annex the autonomous territory of another NATO member.
Revisiting his wish to somehow acquire Greenland from Denmark—an outcome opposed by Greenland, Denmark, and a majority of Americans—Trump told reporters during a joint press conference with Rutte and other NATO and U.S. officials including Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that he's bullish on the prospects of annexation.
"I think it'll happen," the president said. "And I'm just thinking, I didn't give it much thought before, but I'm sitting with a man that could be very instrumental. You know, Mark, we need that for international security, not just security, international."
At one point during the meeting, Trump turned to Hegseth and remarked, "You know, we have a couple of bases on Greenland already, and we have quite a few soldiers, and maybe you'll see more and more soldiers go there, and I don't know, what do you think about that, Pete?"
"Don't answer that, Pete," Trump said, eliciting laughter.
Maintaining the congenial vibe of the meeting, Rutte said with a laugh that "when it comes to Greenland yes or not joining the U.S., I would leave that outside, for me, this discussion, because I don't want to drag NATO into that."
The former longtime Dutch prime minister then said that Trump is "totally right" about countering Chinese and Russian regional influence, and that NATO cooperation on that matter is "very important."
While many observers focused on Rutte's diplomatic rejection of Trump's desire to acquire Greenland, Rasmus Jarlov, a member of Denmark's Parliament representing the Conservative People's Party, said on social media that "we do not appreciate the secretary general of NATO joking with Trump about Greenland like this."
"It would mean war between two NATO countries," Jarlov warned. "Greenland has just voted against immediate independence from Denmark and does not want to be American, ever."
The center-right Demokraatit Party pulled off a surprise victory Tuesday in Greenland's parliamentary election, with Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the territory's likely next prime minister, vehemently rejecting U.S. annexation.
"I hope it sends a clear message to [Trump] that we are not for sale," he said of the election results in an interview with Sky News. "We don't want to be Americans. No, we don't want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders, and we want our own independence in the future. And we want to build our own country by ourselves."
Trump's comments came on the same day that
NBC News cited U.S. officials who said the president has ordered the Pentagon to prepare plans to "take back" the Panama Canal—including through the use of military force if deemed necessary.
Sanders Shows Senate Dems How to Message 'No' Vote on GOP Spending Scam
Republicans' continuing resolution, he warned, "will provide a blank check for the administration and Mr. Musk to continue their savage war against working families, the elderly, children, the sick, and the poor."
Mar 13, 2025
With a shutdown looming, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday offered his Democratic colleagues a blueprint for how to reject Republicans' stopgap measure, which would fund the government through the end of September but, as critics warn, give President Donald Trump—and billionaire Elon Musk—broad discretion over spending priorities.
"Since President Trump has been in office we have seen chaos, shock, and heartbreak," Sanders (I-Vt.)—who sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020—said in a statement explaining his plan to vote "no" on the House-approved package.
"We have seen oligarchs take over our government and the wealthiest person in the world decimate programs that provide support for a struggling working class," Sanders said, pointing to Trump and Musk's recent attacks on the Department of Education, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Social Security Administration.
"We have seen a move toward authoritarianism where the president is illegally usurping the powers of Congress, while his administration challenges the role of the federal courts in constraining unconstitutional administrative actions," he continued, echoing his recent Senate floor speeches and national tour.
The continuing resolution (CR) passed Tuesday by 216 House Republicans and Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) "will provide a blank check for the administration and Mr. Musk to continue their savage war against working families, the elderly, children, the sick, and the poor in order to lay the groundwork for massive tax breaks for the billionaire class," Sanders warned.
"This legislation will also provide a green light for the administration to continue its illegal and unconstitutional activities," he concluded. "This is a bill I cannot support. Instead, the Senate must pass a 30-day CR so that all members of Congress, not just the House Republican leadership, can come together and produce legislation that works for all Americans, not just the few."
Sanders' statement came amid fears that Senate Democrats may cave to the GOP plan in exchange for a certain-to-fail vote on an alternative bill. Although Republicans control the upper chamber, they lack a filibuster-proof majority—meaning at least 60 senators have to agree to hold a vote on most legislation, including a CR on funding.
Progressives in the House who stood against the Republican package urged Senate Democrats to continue the fight to actually pass an alternative spending bill that doesn't further empower Trump and Musk—such as a "clean" 30-day CR that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other key members of the party have suggested.
"Some Senate Democrats are being tempted to pretend to fight the Trump-Musk funding bill today, then quietly agree to give up on blocking it," Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Chair Greg Casar (D-Texas) said on social media Thursday. "That would be a disastrous decision. Voting for cloture on a bill that allows Musk and Trump to steal from taxpayers is the same as voting to allow Musk and Trump to steal from taxpayers. Everything is on the line. Democrats weren't elected to put up a fake fight."
CPC Chair Emeritas Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) similarly declared that "Democrats need to stand up and fight for the American people," and expressed support for the 30-day resolution.
Progressive voices outside of Congress are also calling on Democrats to keep up the fight ahead of the potential shutdown, which would occur if a deal isn't reached before the end of Friday.
"Leader Schumer and Senate Democrats must insist on a clean 30-day funding bill," Public Citizen and Indivisible said in a joint statement. "Helping Republicans pass their harmful, partisan slush-fund for Trump and Musk would correctly and needlessly redirect the public's outrage from Republicans to Democrats. Even those who would be most directly harmed by a government shutdown—federal employees—have said they are willing to risk a Republican-created government shutdown instead of allowing the ongoing lawless dismantling of government, and they're right."
"All Americans should be clear: The Republican long-term CR is not a clean continuation of previous funding commitments. It would enable Trump and Musk to claim much greater authority to violate the separation of powers and refuse to spend appropriated funds," the groups continued. "The Republican long-term CR also would impose draconian spending cuts on Washington, D.C. and impose pointless, devastating harm on children in the nation's capital."
"If Republicans disregard the well-being of the country and choose to shut down the government over their failure to pass their destructive funding bill," they vowed, "we and our partners will mobilize across the country to ensure the anger of voters is directed at the culprits of this manufactured crisis, in defense of the vital programs that Musk's MAGA allies are eager to destroy for the sake of greater corporate profits."
DHS Official Explicitly Equates Protest to Terrorism in 'Stunning' Interview
"This is one of the most chilling things I've heard a senior U.S. official say."
Mar 13, 2025
In an interview with one of the top officials at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Thursday, NPR's Michel Martin sought to gain clarity about the agency's reasoning for arresting former Columbia University student organizer Mahmoud Khalil last week—but Troy Edgar provided no supporting evidence of specific offenses committed by Khalil, who has not been charged with a crime, and suggested his mere participation in "pro-Palestinian activity" was sufficient to order his deportation.
Edgar, the deputy homeland security secretary, repeatedly alleged that Khalil was in the U.S. on a visa, despite Martin correcting him and clarifying that the Algerian citizen is a legal permanent resident of the country with a green card—until it was reportedly revoked under the Trump administration's "catch and revoke" program targeting international students who protest the government's pro-Israel policy.
The Trump administration has accused Khalil, who is of Palestinian descent, of leading "activities aligned to Hamas" and protests where pro-Hamas propaganda was distributed, but officials have provided no evidence that he's provided support to Hamas or other groups designated as terrorist organizations by the U.S. government.
A White House official this week told The Free Press that Khalil is not being accused of breaking any laws, but is rather "a threat to the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States," and Edgar's comments to Martin offered further evidence evidence that DHS is working to deport Khalil without accusing him of a crime.
"He is coming in to basically be a student that is not going to be supporting terrorism," said Edgar. "So, the issue is he was let into the country on this visa. He has been promoting this antisemitism activity at the university. And at this point, the State Department has revoked his visa for supporting a terrorist type organization."
But Edgar was unable to point to specific "terrorist activity" that Khalil was supporting when he helped lead Palestinian solidarity protests at Columbia, where students occupied a building and displayed a banner labeling it Hind's Hall in honor of a six-year-old girl who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza and negotiated with administrators to end the school's investment in companies that benefit from Israel's policies in Palestine.
"How did he support Hamas? Exactly what did he do?" Martin pressed.
"Well, I think you can see it on TV, right?" Edgar replied. "This is somebody that we've invited and allowed the student to come into the country, and he's put himself in the middle of the process of basically pro-Palestinian activity."
Martin then repeatedly asked whether criticism of the U.S. government, which is the largest international funder of the Israeli military and has backed its assault on Gaza, and protesting are deportable offenses.
"Let me put it this way, Michel, imagine if he came in and filled out the form and said, 'I want a student visa.' They asked him, 'What are you going to do here?' And he says, 'I'm going to go and protest.' We would have never let him into the country," said Edgar. "I think if he would have declared he's a terrorist, we would have never let him in."
Will Creeley, legal director at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), called the interview "stunning" and said Edgar's "conflation of protest and terrorism stopped me cold."
The interview, said Washington Post columnist Shadi Hamid, serves as the latest confirmation from the Trump administration that "Mahmoud Khalil's arrest has no basis."
The interview was released the same day that more than 100 people were arrested at a sit-in led by Jewish Voice of Peace at Trump Tower in New York City, demanding Khalil's release. His arrest has sparked outcry from progressives in Congress, local lawmakers including New York mayoral candidate and state lawmaker Zohran Mamdani, legal experts, and the human rights group Amnesty International.
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