Welcome to the United States. We can have your nickname at Social Media please?
This probably should be the future on your travels to the US. To pass the Customs and, in general, border control at the airport before you enter US territory, you must give your Social Media aliases.
Yes, your nickname may soon be part of the US visa process, such as US Customs and Border Protection, as a new proposal to the Federal Register suggests new entry measures in the country, according to which foreign visitors should declare their online presence.
This new proposal was submitted by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to the Federal Register to update the required entry documents with a question asking travelers:
"Please enter information associated with your online presence - Provider / Platform - Social media identifier."
"Please enter the details related to your internet presence - Provider / Platform - Social Network ID."
This information will not be mandatory, but of course, foreign travelers who refuse to disclose their online presence may be subject to additional scrutiny.
According to DHS, the new information requested will add a new level of control to potential foreign visitors, who have already been photographed, fingerprints, face-to-face interviews, along with numerous checks from the database.
“Η συλλογή δεδομένων των social media θα ενισχύσει την υπάρχουσα διαδικασία διερεύνησης και να παρέχει στο DHS μεγαλύτερη σαφήνεια και διαφάνεια για πιθανή παράξενες δραστηριότητες και διαconnections, providing an additional set of tools that analysts and investigators can use to better analyze and investigate a case,” the proposal states.
The new field will be added to the electronic system άδειας ταξιδίου (Electronic System for Travel Authorization or ESTA) and the I-94 form used to notify the United States authorities of a visitor's arrival and departure from the country.
US Customs and Border Protection seeks comments on the new proposal by 22 August. So the public has 60 days to protest in Washington, before the ratification of the proposal.