“What social media accounts do you have?”, this is a question that many do not want to hear from Customs and Border Protection officers, now that oficers may ask foreign travelers this question upon entering the U.S.
However, information about social media inquiries has been disseminated incorrectly, causing concern among border crossers.
While officers will in fact be able to ask about social media accounts, this does not apply to all travelers, but only those who participate in the Visa Waiver Program.
The Visa Waiver program allows foreigners from 38 countries, most of them European, to remain in the U.S. visa-free for up to three months. Chile is the only Latin American country included; Mexico is not part of this program.
Starting now, those applying for a Visa Waiver in the Electronic System Travel Authorization (ESTA), will be asked whether they would like to be screened through their social media accounts upon entry to the United States. If the applicant agrees, they will be asked to choose which accounts they would like to include, such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Human rights groups have stated that this would be an invasion of privacy and a form of abuse, as well as an intimidation tactic, since those applying are doing so because they would like to visit the U.S., and most believe that answering “no” to any question could lead to their application being denied.
Online security firms, on the other hand, feel that it would be justified in order to safeguard the integrity of the country and its citizens, as well as have better control over who enters and leaves the U.S., particularly in light of the terrorist attacks that have recently taken place in different parts of the world.
The measure has also received criticism from the Internet Association – which represents Google, Facebook, and Twitter – stating that it would violate freedom of speech, since  traveler smay engage in self-censorship out of fear of being misjudged by American law enforcement entities.
The ACLU pointed out that vulnerable groups in the U.S. would be the most affected, such as the Muslim community, who last year alone suffered 60 percent of all recorded hate crimes.