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US demands social media details from visa applicants

bbc.com

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Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#21

Post by diveanon »

avocado4 wrote: post #18
diveanon wrote: post #13

I meet a lot of tourists on a daily basis, and I have not heard anyone say they want to visit the United States in a very long time. I can't imagine how much worse it is for people that are forced to travel there for business. If the United States is trying to isolate itself from the rest of the world it is definitely succeeding. As a side note, I have not spoken to a tourist from the US on the island where I live in…

>> "I have not heard anyone say they want to visit the United States in a very long time." US had the 3rd largest number of tourists in the world in 2017 (after France and Spain). [1] Though YOY is trending down in Trump years. [1] https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284419876

I did not see a breakdown by age demographic in that report.

The overwhelming majority of the tourists I encounter fall into the Millennial bracket, and I don't think it is possible for them to be less enthusiastic about visiting the US.

Maybe that will change once they have kids who want to go see Harry Potter World in Orlando, but as it stands I think most of my customers would rather visit North Korea than the US.

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#22

Post by JumpCrisscross »

diveanon wrote: post #21
avocado4 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> "I have not heard anyone say they want to visit the United States in a very long time." US had the 3rd largest number of tourists in the world in 2017 (after France and Spain). [1] Though YOY is trending down in Trump years. [1] https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284419876

I did not see a breakdown by age demographic in that report. The overwhelming majority of the tourists I encounter fall into the Millennial bracket, and I don't think it is possible for them to be less enthusiastic about visiting the US. Maybe that will change once they have kids who want to go see Harry Potter World in Orlando, but as it stands I think most of my customers would rather visit North Korea than the US.

> The overwhelming majority of the tourists I encounter fall into the Millennial bracket, and I don't think it is possible for them to be less enthusiastic about visiting the US

I’m a millennial with lots of international millennial friends. Nobody likes these measures. But getting into most countries is no walk in the park. As much as I hate to admit this, the pressure to end these policies will never come from tourists.

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#24

Post by qrbLPHiKpiux »

This is an unintended consequence of social media. It is the same as it was centuries ago. If you’re known to criticize someone else, and it gets back to them, of course there will be ramifications.

I’m not agreeing or disagreeing with this comment. I’m just stating fact.

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#26

Post by stOneskull »

mushufasa wrote: post #16
human20190310 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1) Doesn't the First Amendment restrict the US government from curtailing free expression and free association anyplace, not just within US borders? 2) Isn't anything that results in a "chilling effect" tantamount to restriction? I expect this will have a chilling effect abroad, among people who travel to the US, more than within the US.

1 - no. The constitution explicitly only applies to US citizens / on US soil. That's the legal rationale for a lot of 'bad behavior' such as PRISM -- they can intercept undersea cable traffic to legally spy on foreigners, as foreigners lack constitutional rights. Nothing new there.

They're supposed to be God-given rights

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#27

Post by jMyles »

mushufasa wrote: post #16
human20190310 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1) Doesn't the First Amendment restrict the US government from curtailing free expression and free association anyplace, not just within US borders? 2) Isn't anything that results in a "chilling effect" tantamount to restriction? I expect this will have a chilling effect abroad, among people who travel to the US, more than within the US.

1 - no. The constitution explicitly only applies to US citizens / on US soil. That's the legal rationale for a lot of 'bad behavior' such as PRISM -- they can intercept undersea cable traffic to legally spy on foreigners, as foreigners lack constitutional rights. Nothing new there.

> 1 - no. The constitution explicitly only applies to US citizens / on US soil.

Why on earth do you say such things? Like, seriously, what's the point of saying something so easily refuted? Is this just to be inflammatory for the sake of it?

The suggestion that the US Bill of Rights only applies to citizens is so unbelievably toxic and contrary to the history of the country I am saddened to even read the words.

The Bill of Rights intentionally does not even include the word "citizen" and instead uses "people."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bill_of_Rights

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#28

Post by jammygit »

Everyone knows that the real danger of all this tracking and social media is that governments will start stealing the data and using it against people, or else by censoring things/manipulation.

This is how it starts in-earnest, rather than half heartedly. See China for a demo of the future

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#29

Post by mrsalt »

avocado4 wrote: post #18
diveanon wrote: post #13

I meet a lot of tourists on a daily basis, and I have not heard anyone say they want to visit the United States in a very long time. I can't imagine how much worse it is for people that are forced to travel there for business. If the United States is trying to isolate itself from the rest of the world it is definitely succeeding. As a side note, I have not spoken to a tourist from the US on the island where I live in…

>> "I have not heard anyone say they want to visit the United States in a very long time." US had the 3rd largest number of tourists in the world in 2017 (after France and Spain). [1] Though YOY is trending down in Trump years. [1] https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284419876

I would think many of those visits are for business or seeing family. Plus the fact that many of the tourists come from countries in the Visa Waiver Program [1]. An ESTA is much less involved than a B1/B2 visa application.

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_the_United_States#V...

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#30

Post by dudul »

mushufasa wrote: post #16
human20190310 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1) Doesn't the First Amendment restrict the US government from curtailing free expression and free association anyplace, not just within US borders? 2) Isn't anything that results in a "chilling effect" tantamount to restriction? I expect this will have a chilling effect abroad, among people who travel to the US, more than within the US.

1 - no. The constitution explicitly only applies to US citizens / on US soil. That's the legal rationale for a lot of 'bad behavior' such as PRISM -- they can intercept undersea cable traffic to legally spy on foreigners, as foreigners lack constitutional rights. Nothing new there.

The constitution applies to anybody living on US soil.
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