The US government has revealed a plan to toughen the rules for newcomers and demand that most visa applicants submit their social media accounts, as well as old telephone numbers and e-mail addresses.
Such requirements have previously only applied to those who travelled to territories controlled by terrorists – the number of which does not exceed 65 thousand people. Whereas the new provision could hit nearly 15 million applicants for immigration and non-immigration visas each year, including those traveling to the US to study, do business or just visit tourist destinations.
The new initiative will be discussed publicly for 60 days before a final decision is made.
READ MORE: Trump Restricts Visas from 8 Countries, Including North Korea
However, Twitter has already wallowed in heated debates over the matter so dear to the heart of social media users. Some point out that the data is hard to attain.
Waste of resources. If one intent to do harm they simply make a fake account close their current one before traveling.
— Ali Isfahani (@ali_isfahani) 30 марта 2018 г.
Others see something unhealthy about the desire and voice fears over rights abuses…
This is big. Hope it doesn't become a trend all around the globe. It's like peeping in somebody's bedroom.
— Pratik (@pratik_tarafdar) 30 марта 2018 г.
Give up your privacy to enter "The land of the free"?
— Enrique LechugaB (@EnriqueLB) 30 марта 2018 г.
Welcome to the Fourth Reich!!!
— Brother Joseph (@OLRefugeMonksCA) 30 марта 2018 г.
while others joke about trolling and one of the US’ most dedicated social media users …
Great move to keep the trollers away.
— Sarfraz AK (@Sarfraz_AK) 30 марта 2018 г.
Can we see Trump’s last five years of taxes?
— Ken Padgett (@trngchief11) 30 марта 2018 г.
How about they see Donald Trump's tweets so they can decide if they want to come here at all?
— RobertPoste'sChild (@SalesmanOil) 30 марта 2018 г.
Can't be any worse than his social media history!
— ScottyR (@therealistabraq) 30 марта 2018 г.
They would see that I've liked way too many cat videos.
— Nick Paul (@nickpaul2005) 30 марта 2018 г.
or predict the potential impact on tourism.
Wave goodbye to your tourist industry!!
— Comte Farru-HiIl (@ChazFH) 30 марта 2018 г.
Supporters, however, claim that the measure makes sense from a security perspective.
Hey, I think it's a great idea. What's the problem with that? Y do everyone have a problem with government doing anything? The problem here is we didn't trust our government, that got Trump elected. The Government needs our social media usernames, not our credit cards. WTF?
— Daniel Serrano (@DigitaLNinja41) 30 марта 2018 г.
I fully support this measure for national security purposes. But with thousands of foreign companies CEOs back and forth to the US annually, what do guarantees us that their data will not be used for business purposes?
— Fagner Ribeiro (@_Fagner_Ribeiro) 30 марта 2018 г.
wow…looking for anti America people trying to get into the USA. such a bad thing?
— Leeroy Jenkins!! 😉 (@SolomonGrundy33) 30 марта 2018 г.
While on the campaign trail ahead of the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump made combating illegal immigration one of the primary pillars of his program, drawing strong criticism for some of his statements on the matter. Soon after he assumed office, on January 25, 2017, Trump issued an executive order blocking nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. On March 6, a revision of the travel ban was issued.
He has continued to pursue a harder line on immigration since; for instance, the border wall project on the US-Mexican border is still on the agenda, despite criticism at home and strong opposition in Mexico.
