The United States is planning to require visitors from visa-exempt countries to submit their social media records from the past five years, drawing attention to further tightening of entry screening. According to a notice published in the Federal Register, U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to make this information a mandatory part of the ESTA (Electronic Travel Authorization) process for travelers from 42 visa-exempt countries, including the UK and Germany. The new requirement will also include email addresses, phone numbers, and family member information from the past five years. The Department of Homeland Security said the plan has not been finalized yet, but emphasized that it is necessary to strengthen screening following the recent attack on the Washington National Guard. The government also stated that even those traveling to the U.S. next year to watch the World Cup will undergo the same background checks. The Electronic Frontier Foundation criticized the requirement for making social media public "unprecedented," worrying that it aims to monitor the online speech of international students and other visitors.
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Original: toutiao.com/article/1851185837035529/
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