US government collecting social media information from foreign travelers

The Guardian: The US government has begun asking select foreign travelers to disclose their social media activities as part of an expanded effort to spot potential terrorist threats.

The request functions as a prompt on the online Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or Esta, a visa waiver application that many visitors are required to submit before travelling to the US. The choices include platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, and additional space for applicants to input their account names on those sites.

The Customs and Border Protection, which began the program last week, has previously said it wouldn’t prohibit entry to foreigners who didn’t provide their social media account information.

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