UK tourists to US may get asked to hand in passwords or be denied entry

[Scam]

UK tourists to US may get asked to hand in passwords or be denied entry

British travellers to the United States face the uncomfortable choice of handing over personal information, including social media passwords and mobile phone contacts, or running the risk of being denied entry to the country, under a new “extreme vetting” policy being considered by the Trump administration.

It sounds like they already can do this. I'm travelling to the US on business this Sunday. Really wouldn't know what to do if they asked me for any of that stuff. It's all highly unlikely, but you never know. All of my accounts are protected by 2FA so I could just give them the passwords, but it's the idea of them being able to be that invasive on a whim which is quite galling?

If they ask for any work passwords then it'd be a whole other sort of ****storm!

 

[jsmoke]

I always go with the, 'if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to worry about' rule.

 

[ci_newman]

Alternatively, how do they know that you have a social media account? I have Facebook (which is secured from public view) but not twitter or MySpace or whatever other crap is popular these days - how can they ask for a password if you don't have an account?

 

[Avenged7Fold]

You mean the 'i am naive to think that that my personal information cannot be stolen or abused because it is protected by an official government body' rule?

What is the point in even asking for social media details?

This is just another stupid policy to look like the US government is taking an active role in improving the country's security. I wonder how ridiculous these policies will become before the general public stop caring.

 

[platypus]

@Scam I too wondered about this, currently not required to travel to the US but had to on work in my previous job. I honestly don't know what I'd have done if asked to hand over passwords for my work related devices. I guess I'd have had to refuse and come straight back.

I always go with the, 'if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to worry about' rule.

Which is naive at best.

 

[Scam]

I always go with the, 'if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to worry about' rule.

I would normally go with that, but for example if they wanted my personal email account details; I have my entire life on there. Calendar, cloud storage etc. I'm not arguing against it because I might get "found out" - it's more that I wouldn't trust the border agencies to keep all of my stuff secure, therefore potentially putting me at risk.

EDIT: In case anyone didn't know, the ESTA application now already asks for social media account details. Which you don't have to give.

 

[Buddy]

Well if you're not tanned or have a beard I wouldn't worry.

 

[platypus]

EDIT: In case anyone didn't know, the ESTA application now already asks for social media account details. Which you don't have to give.

It's currently optional though, right?

 

[Scam]

It's currently optional though, right?

Yes, optional. I laughed when I saw it, but now..

Well if you're not tanned or have a beard I wouldn't worry.

I did go to Cuba in Feb though

 

[spoffle]

I always go with the, 'if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to worry about' rule.

This is the rule of the intellectually challenged.

 

[Avenged7Fold]

This is the rule of the intellectually challenged.

Jokes on you because:

'If you cant think of anything to worry about, you got nothing to worry about'

 

[Diddums]

I always go with the, 'if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to worry about' rule.

This is the rule of the intellectually challenged.

This.

I personally prefer the "I'm not a criminal, so why are you treating me like one?" rule.

 

[spoffle]

Jokes on you because:

'If you cant think of anything to worry about, you got nothing to worry about'

I'm sure there's some sort of quote about simple minds having no worries...

 

[Roar87]

To be fair you aren't being forced to hand over passwords as you can just choose not to travel there. For me it wouldn't be an issue really, there's nothing interesting on there.

 

[V F]

If this is supposedly true, I never thought I'd see the day social media is becoming a life access requirement since you hear it about jobs and supposedly this.

I'd be screwed though as my passwords are all written down in a big pad. I'm not taking that places. Imagine all the faff you'd have to go through resetting passwords on emails to access to then reset passwords for social media sites. Then of course if your accounts have two factor. You'd be there for ages as they wait.

Though I'd suppose it would make it easier to just write down the passwords for your social media accounts to take with you. How would they know people have multiple?

 

[233]

Play the game


New twitter and Facebook account a month or so in advance fill it with waffle job jobbed

 

[Scam]

To be fair you aren't being forced to hand over passwords as you can just choose not to travel there. For me it wouldn't be an issue really, there's nothing interesting on there.

Well, I'm not being forced but given my HO and immediate manager is in LA it would be rather detrimental to my career if I refuse to go there. And saying "there's nothing of interest on there" is a bit silly. What about the holidays you put in your calendar? Combine that with any bit of info that has your home address on there and there you have an almighty risk of being robbed whilst you're away. That's the easiest thing that someone could do with your info. Add to that bank account info, bills etc, friend's details..

Play the game

New twitter and Facebook account a month or so in advance fill it with waffle job jobbed

I'm sure that wouldn't raise any alarm bells at all

 

[Tunney]

I don't know the policy of my current employer but previous ones have had an explicit policy of never giving out passwords.

I would have to deny the request and head straight back home.

 

[malachi]

Sweet! Off to Las Vegas next month.....fun times and I don't even do social media.

 

[Andy90]

I always go with the, 'if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to worry about' rule.

Ok.

Bearing in mind they can ask to inspect the following, along with asking for passwords - computers, disks, drives, tapes, mobile phones and other communication devices, cameras, music and other media players and any other electronic or digital devices.

Whilst you might have done nothing illegal, are you really sure you want them to have access to all that information? Who you ring, who is on your contact list, what websites you visit. They don't have to be illegal, but what happens if those websites were less than complementary to the US President? What happens when your view of the World and Politics differ from the power that be? What happens when they start joining the dots and it transpires that someone on your contact list knows someone who is a 'person of interest'? Links build up? It sounds paranoid, but that's how intelligence agencies work - link after link after link.

Are you comfortable with them having passwords to your accounts? If it is a work laptop or phone, would you be happy to hand it over and have it disappear for a while. Would your boss be happy if you're engaged on Research and Development for a new product?

Sure you can refuse to hand stuff over or passwords... but as the article says, the only people who have an automatic right of entry into the US are US Citizens. They can and do refuse entry to anyone else.

This recently happened

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-phone-unlock-trump-immigration-a7577906.html

As an addendum to your at best naïve assertion, I'll remind you of the following, written by Martin Niemöller

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

The Trump administration has all the hallmarks of a nascent facist administration. We seem not to have learnt the lessons and warnings that History has given us.