Before Entering US, Travelers May Have To Provide Their Social Media Passwords, Suggests DHS Head

[ivan134]

Lmao. This is one of most absurd things I've ever heard.

[79wjd]

1 minute ago, SaladFingers said:

Yes, but that can't be official. It's not like asking for your ID. If you don't have a profile, they are not able to stalk it, plain and simple. If they don't want to hire you, so be it. There is no "law" about that.

 

And again, nothing on facebook is private. Its database is accessible to the US government. So why would they need your login details?? To "log in" using the UI of the website? Are they really *that* clueless?

 

What's next, citizens will be required to get an ID and a facebook profile? This is so ridiculous its hilarious.

The US government can't just ask for complete rights to peruse the FB database. They would need some kind of subpoena/warrant depending on what kind of information they were looking for. It's much easier to just ask for the password to your account so they can look over your post/chat histories. 

 

And of course this is only applicable to those who have accounts or who are active users. CBP also has a right to search your computer -- that doesn't mean they can search a computer you don't own/have on you. 

[Michael McAllister]

6 minutes ago, Dan Castellaneta said:

If you come into any country, you have to adhere to the laws; otherwise, you get booted the fuck out or thrown in jail.

That being said, does getting their password have a real use?

I don't understand this mentality.  People travel.  Essentially, if you leave the country on a trip, you will be forced to provide this information before being granted re-entry.  That's beyond fucked.

[79wjd]

1 minute ago, Michael McAllister said:

I don't understand this mentality.  People travel.  Essentially, if you leave the country on a trip, you will be forced to provide this information before being granted re-entry.  That's beyond fucked.

You can already be forced to provide this information -- CBP has every right to search anything you bring into the country with you. 

[SaladFingers]

1 minute ago, djdwosk97 said:

The US government can't just ask for complete rights to peruse the FB database. They would need some kind of subpoena/warrant depending on what kind of information they were looking for. It's much easier to just ask for the password to your account so they can look over your post/chat histories. 

 

And of course this is only applicable to those who have accounts or who are active users. CBP also has a right to search your computer -- that doesn't mean they can search a computer you don't own/have on you. 

We all know that they will just take whatever information they want in the background without any warrants involved. The NSA has been doing  it for ever and using "terrorism" as an excuse never fails.

 

Active user or not, it doesn't matter. I can go and look you up if you happen to be an active user, but I can't possibly use it officially. Facebook is a private company not a public sector. This is like asking for your LTT account details. It's retarded.

[Michael McAllister]

7 minutes ago, BH2062 said:

if your worried get a VPN but I think its ok

If you are being asked to hand over your social media password, a VPN is not going to do anything.

[Blade of Grass]

21 minutes ago, djdwosk97 said:

They're "official" enough to get you fired and not get you a job at all. 

 

To be clear, if the government wanted to do this with people living in the US, I'd have a problem with it. There are big problems with invading personal privacy rights -- mainly that eventually it will go too far and you'll end up having no privacy at all (and being told how to live your life). The only reason why this is okay (not that it will happen) imo is because it's specifically regarding the borders (a place where CBP already has the right to do basically anything they want). 

If this policy is similar to ones implemented in the past, then I believe that this can also be applied to US citizens crossing the border to get back home. 

[79wjd]

2 minutes ago, SaladFingers said:

We all know that they will just take whatever information they want in the background without any warrants involved. The NSA has been doing  it for ever and using "terrorism" as an excuse never fails.

 

Active user or not, it doesn't matter. I can go and look you up if you happen to be an active user, but I can't possibly use it officially. Facebook is a private company not a public sector. This is like asking for your LTT account details. It's retarded.

Yes, it's not "official", but police do use social media to help in their investigations. There is a TON of pertinent information available on social media. 

 

1 minute ago, Blade of Grass said:

If this policy is similar to ones implemented in the past, then I believe that this can also be applied to US citizens crossing the border to get back home. 

I'm sure it can be. Numerous courts have decided that the fourth amendment doesn't really apply at borders. 

[Guest Kloaked]

12 minutes ago, Michael McAllister said:

 

The government has used that same rationale to erode the privacy of citizens for a long while.  The intrusive nature of surveillance programs hasn't resulted in a safer country.  Edward Snowden has talked extensively about this thinking, and it does not hold up under scrutiny.

This is true. It's a hard thing to tackle and they are going about it the wrong way for their own citizens.

11 minutes ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

Under some circumstances, sure. But the mass gathering of citizens' data was deemed illegal. The operations of GCHQ here in the UK were also deemed illegal by the EU but our government quickly passed a law to make it legal by some loop hole. 

Right, but the OP is talking about immigrants, not citizens of the US. This should be fine to look into immigrants with all of the garbage happening.

[Michael McAllister]

2 minutes ago, djdwosk97 said:

You can already be forced to provide this information -- CBP has every right to search anything you bring into the country with you. 

Your password is something you know.  It's not a physical object.  If they ask for social media accounts, what's to prevent them from asking for other information?

[Blade of Grass]

1 minute ago, Kloaked said:

Right, but the OP is talking about immigrants, not citizens of the US. This should be fine to look into immigrants with all of the garbage happening.

When similar policies have been implemented in the past, they have also been applicable to citizens returning from travel

[79wjd]

1 minute ago, Michael McAllister said:

Your password is something you know.  It's not a physical object.  If they ask for social media accounts, what's to prevent them from asking for other information?

Border patrol can already ask you anything they want. 

 

[Guest Kloaked]

2 minutes ago, Blade of Grass said:

When similar policies have been implemented in the past, they have also been applicable to citizens returning from travel

I can see the logic behind why they'd do it. I'm glad I don't have to make these decisions because you're either wrong or wrong according to everyone on the internet.

 

Just now, djdwosk97 said:

Border patrol can already ask you anything they want. 

 

 

Border Patrol here. Could you send me your credit card information, including the CVV? Don't worry your information is safe with me.

[SaladFingers]

3 minutes ago, djdwosk97 said:

Yes, it's not "official", but police do use social media to help in their investigations. There is a TON of pertinent information available on social media.

But that's exactly my point. Anyone can use the information they find however they see fit, including employers. But just because you can see some information about me in my LTT profile it doesn't make it any less ridiculous if the government asks you for your account details. Especially if you don't even use the site. Facebook is just a website owned by random investors. It's not something anyone is required to use.

[Michael McAllister]

4 minutes ago, Kloaked said:

Right, but the OP is talking about immigrants, not citizens of the US. This should be fine to look into immigrants with all of the garbage happening.

 

This has been happening to all immigrants, not just undocumented ones either.

[arbellason55]

I highly doubt this will be useful for anything, if someone wants to do do something bad they are not gong to tell the authorities unless they are a half rate terrorist in which case there isn't much to be worried about as they will probably foil their own plans for us.

[79wjd]

4 minutes ago, SaladFingers said:

But that's exactly my point. Anyone can use the information they find however they see fit, including employers. But just because you can see some information about me in my LTT profile it doesn't make it any less ridiculous if the government asks you for your account details. Especially if you don't even use the site. Facebook is just a website owned by random investors. It's not something anyone is required to use.

But it's not ridiculous. There is a lot of information about a person and their intentions on social media. If you don't have an account, then they can't do anything about it, but if you do, then they can learn a lot about you very easily. 

 

3 minutes ago, arbellason55 said:

I highly doubt this will be useful for anything, if someone wants to do do something bad they are not gong to tell the authorities unless they are a half rate terrorist in which case there isn't much to be worried about as they will probably foil their own plans for us.

A lot of criminals are stupid. I mean, check out the mannequin challenge where a bunch of gang members showed themselves heavily armed (illegally) and where they were located. 

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4006922/Shootout-themed-mannequin-challenge-video-leads-arrests-Alabama-cops-investigate-marijuana-den.html

 

That is still a good point though, a person can just fake their account. How this would be enforced is something else entirely. 

[Guest Kloaked]

1 minute ago, Michael McAllister said:

 

This has been happening to all immigrants, not just undocumented ones either.

Even so, I'm not on board with excluding everyone from being checked out by something as simple as looking into social media accounts.

[SaladFingers]

4 minutes ago, djdwosk97 said:

But it's not ridiculous. There is a lot of information about a person and their intentions on social media. If you don't have an account, then they can't do anything about it, but if you do, then they can learn a lot about you very easily. 

 

What's ridiculous is not them stalking profiles, it's them requiring you to have one and give them your info. It's as simple as that. Firstly because its a private company owned by random people with random users using it, secondly because if they wanted to get that information they should just ask for your permission to do so, they shouldn't need "passwords". It sounds so silly that it could be a hoax.

[79wjd]

1 minute ago, SaladFingers said:

 

What's ridiculous is not them stalking profiles, it's them requiring you to have one and give them your info. It's as simple as that. Firstly because its a private company owned by random people, secondly because if they wanted to get that information they should just ask for your permission to do so, they shouldn't need "passwords". It sounds so silly that it could be a hoax.

They're not requiring you to have one. If you don't have an account, then you have nothing to give them. End of discussion. 

[Michael McAllister]

1 minute ago, Kloaked said:

Even so, I'm not on board with excluding everyone from being checked out by something as simple as looking into social media accounts.

I just don't understand the need for the passwords.  Social media accounts are typically public.  They could easily look up the information.

[arbellason55]

3 minutes ago, djdwosk97 said:

 

A lot of criminals are stupid. I mean, check out the mannequin challenge where a bunch of gang members showed themselves heavily armed (illegally) and where they were located. 

We shouldn't be worried about the stupid ones, it's the ones that are mostly intelligent that we should be worried about. (feels odd saying a terrorist can be intelligent)  

[SaladFingers]

1 minute ago, djdwosk97 said:

They're not requiring you to have one. If you don't have an account, then you have nothing to give them. End of discussion. 

Still, they don't need your password. This is so technically absurd that I can't even believe it's not a hoax.

[Guest Kloaked]

Just now, Michael McAllister said:

I just don't understand the need for the passwords.  Social media accounts are typically public.  They could easily look up the information.

Sometimes users will have certain privacy settings enabled. There's probably ways to get around that that I'm not aware of - if there is, that method should be used instead of seeking passwords, if possible.

[Sauron]

23 minutes ago, djdwosk97 said:

Yes. But if you choose to enter the US, then you submit to anything that CBP wants to do. 

Unless, you know, it violates the human rights convention.