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SerendipityJane · 11/12/2025 15:38

MrsBennetsPoorNervesAreBack · 11/12/2025 15:32

I can't imagine for a moment that they would have the resource in reality to trawl through several years' worth of social media posts for everyone who seeks to enter the US. In most cases, I don't suppose it will even get looked at.

With any luck, though, it will put people off from going to the US and that will hopefully have a significant negative impact on their economy.

We in the UK know how easy it is to find resources for pet projects. I see no reason why the US should be any different.

Besides, you are making the rookie mistake of thinking this measure is supposed to be enforced reasonably and therefore needs close attention.

The reality is as long as this measure allows the Trump administration to continue their agenda, then it's actual performance is neither here nor there.

All of which being said, I suspect part of the driver behind this "initiative" is a host of AI-flinging firms who have oversold their magic beans to a bunch of fellow grifters. The whole scheme will use bigly AI. The best AI. You don't have AI like this.

wonderstuff · 11/12/2025 15:39

I honestly wouldn’t go in the current political climate. I love the US have had some great holidays there, but the world is a big place and I think there are safer places.

MrsBennetsPoorNervesAreBack · 11/12/2025 15:45

SerendipityJane · 11/12/2025 15:38

We in the UK know how easy it is to find resources for pet projects. I see no reason why the US should be any different.

Besides, you are making the rookie mistake of thinking this measure is supposed to be enforced reasonably and therefore needs close attention.

The reality is as long as this measure allows the Trump administration to continue their agenda, then it's actual performance is neither here nor there.

All of which being said, I suspect part of the driver behind this "initiative" is a host of AI-flinging firms who have oversold their magic beans to a bunch of fellow grifters. The whole scheme will use bigly AI. The best AI. You don't have AI like this.

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Fair point. I hadn't really thought about them using AI, but it's completely obvious now you say it.

There is absolutely no way that I would even consider visiting the US under the current regime in any case, so it's hard for me to get concerned about the idiotic restrictions that he is proposing to bring in. But I do understand that it must be very worrying right now for those who need to travel there.

SerendipityJane · 11/12/2025 15:46

Applesonthetree · 11/12/2025 15:34

Could you just deactivate your accounts before you go?

You could. However the headline says "past 5 years". So if it was active back in 2020, then no. Yes, you could lie. But I wouldn't advise it.

Of course if this is implemented, it will just be used as a(nother) arbitrary tool to crack down on anyone the Trump administration deems unsuitable (presumably using the same criteria the National Socialists did in Germany in the 1930s).

BellaBal · 11/12/2025 15:47

Jijithecat · 11/12/2025 08:07

It's unworkable. No one's going to declare incriminating accounts and even if you do have them you could just change privacy settings.
The social media companies won't be helping them out any time soon.

They have said you’ll be required to make settings public as needed. So for me that’s an instant No.

apparently you may have to list al your email addresses… never going to do that either.

MrsBennetsPoorNervesAreBack · 11/12/2025 15:53

Surely the only sensible response to this is for everyone who possibly can to say "fuck the US" and avoid travelling there?

RedTagAlan · 11/12/2025 15:57

BalladOfBarryAndFreda · 11/12/2025 15:09

How many more ways can this administration embarrass themselves?

They just found one.

CNN reports the new "Trump Gold Card" has been launched. $1 million for a Trump gold expedited immigration pathway. It promises US residency in record time.

It's not clear where the million bucks go, as there is still the 15k processing fee.

So any foreign corrupt officials, crooks etc, just bribe pay Trump a million and in you go.

BellaBal · 11/12/2025 15:59

What struck me about this is all the teenagers who use SM will have to declare to their parents all their hidden accounts if they travel as a family! What a dilemma.

BellaBal · 11/12/2025 16:01

@SerendipityJane “The whole scheme will use bigly AI. The best AI. You don't have AI like this.”

This made me laugh!

You have to hand it to Mr T for his sheer chutzpah.

HelpMeGetThrough · 11/12/2025 16:04

Chewbecca · 11/12/2025 12:30

You already have to declare social media accounts on your ESTA application, it's a field that's been there a long time.

Its optional, I ignored the section and had no problems, was back in less than 48 hours.

BreakingBroken · 11/12/2025 16:06

The sooner everything and anything having to do with that country is dumped like the toxic sludge it has become the better.

SerendipityJane · 11/12/2025 16:09

Again, only speculation, but what I'd do.

Once they know you are coming, they'll capture your contact details (emails, phone numbers) from the airline. They will be added into the details you formally provide about your "social media" accounts. I imagine that they will allow US Federal case law to determine if an account is "social media" or not, just to keep you on your toes.

They will get the SM provide (e.g. Meta, X) to then produce a report on those accounts. including any change of contact details in the past 5 years That would produce further contact details that can be fed back into the trawl.

The people and groups you have interacted with will be pulled into the trawl too.

Once that initial tranche is available, it will be AI all the way, as they are scanned for whatever is deemed objectionable. With the algorithms being taught how to spot undesirables.

That will cover the 90% of applicants easily.

The only complication will be doing it in other languages.

Obviously they will use their powers to trawl any data held by a US company (e.g. Microsoft, Apple, Google) to cross reference the search.

Does your employer have a wiki or collaboration tool ? I would be prepared to hand those details over too.

Saylessy · 11/12/2025 16:13

I find that those shout about free speech are usually the first to shut it down

haXXor · 11/12/2025 16:25

AspiringChatBot · 11/12/2025 15:11

This builds on both (1) the requirements and vetting procedures that are already in place for formal visa applications to the USA and (2) the optional questions already on the ESTA, so it's quite feasible and doesn't require new background routines. There's a comment period of 60 days before this goes into effect so it could be stopped, but it's also very possible it will go forward.

If you genuinely have no SM (never had, or all accounts deleted more than five years ago) you answer NONE. (Reddit is specifically included on the "including but not limited to" list of mandatory disclosure platforms, so presumably you should disclose Mumsnet too? ) If you do have accounts, you list each platform and all active handles on that platform. In addition to vetting any accounts listed, the AI checks for any undisclosed SM accounts, presumably using your name and the full set of email addresses and telephone numbers you've provided (you'll be required to submit EVERY ONE you've used in the past five years) and if they find no SM presence at all or if they find no undisclosed accounts and no "bad" content on the disclosed accounts, then presumably there's no issue. If everything doesn't check out, the system spits out your application for review by a carbon-based life form.

The requirement to make all social media accounts public is already an issue as some people - disproportionately women - have legitimate reasons to keep them private. If these policies were properly vetted, they would require applicants to grant access to all accounts to Homeland Security (or its designated agent) not to make them public.

Many people can and do avoid travel to the USA, but a lot of international flight itineraries pass through the USA and since there are no airside connections for international flights (for example, a flight from London Heathrow to Cancun with a change of plane at Miami Int'l) all passengers go through US immigration. If this is implemented and appears to be a perm change, I wonder if we will eventually see more flights from Europe to the Caribbean and Central and South America routing through Canada or Mexico instead?

The requirement to make all social media accounts public is already an issue as some people - disproportionately women - have legitimate reasons to keep them private.

This is a feature, not a bug. Look up "LOVEINT".

SerendipityJane · 11/12/2025 16:27

apparently you may have to list al your email addresses… never going to do that either.

I must have created hundreds, if not thousands since 1996.

Also how about people who have SM accounts personally and professionally ?

ForeverHopeful3 · 11/12/2025 16:29

This is perfect. Everything was fair game back during covid, remember? All the vaxxers were just fine giving all our info to the government for "safety".

Anyone who hates America, has said anything hateful against America or our core beliefs is not welcome here, and social media will be the easiest way to detect such people.

SerendipityJane · 11/12/2025 16:32

ForeverHopeful3 · 11/12/2025 16:29

This is perfect. Everything was fair game back during covid, remember? All the vaxxers were just fine giving all our info to the government for "safety".

Anyone who hates America, has said anything hateful against America or our core beliefs is not welcome here, and social media will be the easiest way to detect such people.

It won't. It really won't.

Rather than looking at the color of someones social media, you could always search the content of their character.

Having lived through the last half of the cold war, I am amused at how Russia ultimately won.

ForeverHopeful3 · 11/12/2025 16:36

SerendipityJane · 11/12/2025 16:32

It won't. It really won't.

Rather than looking at the color of someones social media, you could always search the content of their character.

Having lived through the last half of the cold war, I am amused at how Russia ultimately won.

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Color on social media? How do you see color when you're looking at someone's post history? The fact that you even brought up color shows that you're pretty racist. Yikes!!!!

haXXor · 11/12/2025 16:37

ForeverHopeful3 · 11/12/2025 16:29

This is perfect. Everything was fair game back during covid, remember? All the vaxxers were just fine giving all our info to the government for "safety".

Anyone who hates America, has said anything hateful against America or our core beliefs is not welcome here, and social media will be the easiest way to detect such people.

This is not comparable at all. Showing proof of vaccination status is not "all your info", it's a subset of the info on your driving licence plus the date you had an injection. It's in no way comparable to having everything you've written online in the last five years scrutinised for wrongthink.

As someone upthread said, the people who shouted loudest about cancel culture are becoming the censors now that they are in charge.

The US won't be getting my tourist dollars whilst this policy remains the case.

Enrichetta · 11/12/2025 16:38

WTF are ‘America’s core beliefs’…

PodMom · 11/12/2025 16:39

Statsquestion1 · 11/12/2025 08:03

I don’t have social media, so how would they manage that I wonder?…

You hand your phone over, they run it through a machine with AI tech and you will come back clear I guess.

haXXor · 11/12/2025 16:40

ForeverHopeful3 · 11/12/2025 16:36

Color on social media? How do you see color when you're looking at someone's post history? The fact that you even brought up color shows that you're pretty racist. Yikes!!!!

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Tell me that you've never listened to MLK's "I have a dream" speech without telling me...

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

That poster replaced skin with social media to make a point and it went straight over your head.

RedTagAlan · 11/12/2025 16:43

ForeverHopeful3 · 11/12/2025 16:29

This is perfect. Everything was fair game back during covid, remember? All the vaxxers were just fine giving all our info to the government for "safety".

Anyone who hates America, has said anything hateful against America or our core beliefs is not welcome here, and social media will be the easiest way to detect such people.

"Hate" is a rather strong word.

I don't hate anyone or any country. I think POTUS is a over orange man child dotard ignoramus, but I don't hate him, or the USA.

Can I pop over to visit ? Maybe to take part in a " No King" march in solidarity with AOC ?

KitsyWitsy · 11/12/2025 17:00

ForeverHopeful3 · 11/12/2025 16:36

Color on social media? How do you see color when you're looking at someone's post history? The fact that you even brought up color shows that you're pretty racist. Yikes!!!!

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Thick as mince! Grin

Original poster
reluctantbrit · 11/12/2025 17:02

Nitgel · 11/12/2025 08:04

Go to canada !

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They already did this year and definitely take it into account again.

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