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US demands social media details from visa applicants

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251–260 of 355 posts

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#251

I am happy to never visit the US due to the rules. However it sucks that the US is the easiest/cheapest way to transit to many countries. However I can't transit through say LA without "entering" the US. So I can't visit other countries easily (especially Canada, or central America).

Huh?

If you don't want a visa, why do you care about this?

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#252
post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This comment breaks the site guidelines. Please do not take HN threads further into ideological flamewar. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

That must be newly introduced in the last few days, considering the comments and posts I still see presented here frequently. Nevertheless, I'll take it to heart and flag things that break it.

You might have a mistaken idea of how much we're able to process here. HN gets many more comments and submissions than we're able to look at. Moderation amounts to spot checking.

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#253

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…

They only have 5-10 days vacation a year on average. Give them a break already!

They brought it upon themselves. Americans resist every attempt that I have seen to improve working conditions.

It was such a big issue for me that it motivated me to leave the SV tech community and the US altogether. I don't see myself ever living there again.

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where are you guys? I typically travel to places where I know someone — so given that most of the Malaysians I know have moved elsewhere (or are trying to) I'm less inclined to visit. The politics, health care, and to some extent personal safety and syariah law create some resistance too.

Politics - Malaysia has a healthier democracy than the United States and is currently undergoing massive anti corruption reforms. Healthcare - I receive better and more affordable healthcare here than I ever did in the US. Visiting a DR costs $10 out of pocket and most medications are in the $5-$20 range. I recently underwent extensive hyperbaric therapy and it cost me less than $200. The same treatment in the US wou…

Politics - Malaysia has a healthier democracy than the United States and is currently undergoing massive anti corruption reforms.

Which is great, but it wasn't that long ago that the opposition leader was thrown into jail on trumped up sodomy charges.

Healthcare

The cost of care is lower but so is the quality was what I've had a few Malaysian friends tell me.

Personal Safety - I feel safer wandering around KL at night than I ever did LA or SF. On the island where I live I don't even have a lock on my door.

Most places feel safer than San Francisco to me, that's not much of a challenge. The US State Dept listed a warning due to an increased risk of kidnapping, and they also list these gems:

- Taxi drivers in downtown Kuala Lumpur have perpetrated violent crimes against foreign tourists and local residents

- Criminals also target motorists stuck in traffic or stopped at a light with smash and grab robberies.

When I was planning a trip to Penang and KL a few years back the advice given was to have my friend pick me up instead of taking a taxi -- due to her concerns for my safety.

Malaysia is a very mixed society that has learned to respect all races and religions

Well that's patently false. How many non-Muslim Malays do you know? Hint: none because syariah law prevents them from leaving Islam and the so-called secular law cowtows to Islam. How about race based university admissions (and a variety of other codified race based privileges)?

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Politics - Malaysia has a healthier democracy than the United States and is currently undergoing massive anti corruption reforms. Healthcare - I receive better and more affordable healthcare here than I ever did in the US. Visiting a DR costs $10 out of pocket and most medications are in the $5-$20 range. I recently underwent extensive hyperbaric therapy and it cost me less than $200. The same treatment in the US wou…

Politics - Malaysia has a healthier democracy than the United States and is currently undergoing massive anti corruption reforms. Which is great, but it wasn't that long ago that the opposition leader was thrown into jail on trumped up sodomy charges. Healthcare The cost of care is lower but so is the quality was what I've had a few Malaysian friends tell me. Personal Safety - I feel safer wandering around KL at nigh…

"opposition leader was thrown into jail on trumped up sodomy charges."

He was pardoned in 2018 and the current ruling party won on a platform of removing this kind of corruption and is so far very well received.

"cost of care is lower but so is the quality was what I've had a few Malaysian friends tell me."

False. All the major cities in Malaysia have excellent hospitals, and there is nationwide availability to General practitioners who are more than qualified. I have had 2 elective surgeries in Malaysia and could not be happier with the results.

" I was planning a trip to Penang and KL a few years back the advice given was to have my friend pick me up instead of taking a taxi -- due to her concerns for my safety."

There is always Grab if you are that paranoid, but I have never heard of anyone having issues like this. Just the other day I hailed a cab and the driver told me it would actually be cheaper and easier for me to take the train to my destination and gave me instructions on how to get to the nearest station.

"Well that's patently false. How many non-Muslim Malays do you know? Hint: none because syariah law prevents them from leaving Islam and the so-called secular law cowtows to Islam. How about race based university admissions (and a variety of other codified race based privileges)?"

This one actually made my friends and I laugh when I read it out loud during our lunch. Malaysia is home to ethnic Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, and native groups. Just at my table there are three non Muslim Malay and two muslims.

I say this at risk of angering the mods, but you have no fucking idea what you are talking about.

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#256
post #250
post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please stick with weapons available at time constitution was written of not very reliable ~3 shots per minute fire rate. Gunpowder cannons are also OK. Law evolves along with technical progress and 2nd amendment is not exception.

When you write your reply on parchment with elderberry ink, seal it with wax, and have it delivered by pony express we can have a discussion on the limitations you are proposing on the first amendment with your long debunked argument. Also there were repeating rifles, cartridge based rifles, and citizens owned artillery pieces and war ships in the era in which the Constitution was written. You should read Heller - Ju…

False equivalence. First amendment understanding evolved since 1789 [1]. Protecting speech of corporations was unthinkable in 1789.

[1] https://www.brennancenter.org/blog/constant-evolution-first-...

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#257
post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But that circles back to my original question. How does the gov not have the power to boot you out (or jail) just from committing the terrorist act in itself? OR even just from finding out that said person has terrorist ties? I don't buy the answer of needing the question to boot someone out. You can already boot them out for committing crimes. And I'm sure there's a question along the lines "Do you intend to commit…

> But that circles back to my original question. How does the gov not have the power to boot you out (or jail) just from committing the terrorist act in itself? Because they have to prove it in court. And the defendant can ask for a lawyers. And then both the cost, and the level of proof required is a lot higher. Will the US have enough time and resources to go to the originating country and inspect all the evidence,…

To prove that they lied on the form, wouldn't they have to legally prove that he is a terrorist and go through the same legal process which you said will be avoided?

It seems pointless.

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#258

This seems isolationist. Why would we want to isolate ourselves? For a country that was founded upon immigrants, that extremely benefited (and continues to) from diversity of thought and ideas, why would we want to stop that? I'm just under 30 and I still remember growing up how I was told that a major part of what made America great was the melting pot. In academia and at labs I've seen this be a huge benefit. But I…

I think expanding it to Western culture is projecting a bit. Here in Europe, almost everyone I talk to considers the US a borderline hostile place to visit, let alone emigrate to... It's true that in part we're a bit spoiled by the ease of movement inside the EU, but the general experience of entering the US (including airport security) is unwelcoming to the point of being humiliating - very different to the way the…

I know I'm a single data-point but I had a much easier time getting a US visa and entering the US borders (and so did my mother) than getting into Europe. One time in Paris, the police were in the airplane exit (even before you cross the gate) and stopping people based solely on color of their skin. (they did miss a few because of their bias and did stop a Belgium national).

You might think Europe is cool because you are inside Europe. But Europe is as hostile as it can get. The US is an order of magnitude better in the immigration department. Europe happens to get a lot of immigrants because of land proximity.

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#259
post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But doesn't proving that the person has lied also require additional efforts, and if that person will contest the desicion in court, can become a long process?

I would argue that proving somebody lied on an application would be easier than proving something like “this person is a danger to the US”. The 2nd is much subjective.

To prove that he lied on the application form, they would have to legally prove him as a terrorist. The legal process of proving someone is a terrorist would be same. So isn't it pointless?

Re: US demands social media details from visa applicants

#260
post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think expanding it to Western culture is projecting a bit. Here in Europe, almost everyone I talk to considers the US a borderline hostile place to visit, let alone emigrate to... It's true that in part we're a bit spoiled by the ease of movement inside the EU, but the general experience of entering the US (including airport security) is unwelcoming to the point of being humiliating - very different to the way the…

Well traveling through the Schengen area is like traveling between US states. You don't even need a passport once you're in. If you're traveling on a non-EU passport, I don't know if entering the EU is much better. IIRC flying through Frankfurt once the customs people rifled through my carry-on for no apparent reason.

I'm not certain but I think German airports will rifle through everyone if they don't have lots of visitors. That was my experience two times flying there.
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