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US Customs wants to collect social media account names at the border

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Re: US Customs wants to collect social media account names at the border

#131

Post by buovjaga »

buro9 wrote: post #82
ipsin wrote: post #73

This is disturbing despite it being "optional", because it's a place for border agents to push in the entry interview. "I noticed you didn't fill out the question regarding online identity. Do you have an online identity?" Sure, you can (and should) tell the agent that's all personal information, but that may also lead to further hassles and delays.

You also shouldn't say that you don't, if you have... as this would be "fraud to gain access to the USA" which is a good way to never gain access to the USA. Therein lies a problem, just what is a social media account? Is it Facebook and Twitter? Or does it extend to networks like LinkedIn? Or forums like Hacker News? Do you have a Facebook account, if you believe that it has been deleted but you also suspect that te…

Social media is a more general concept compared to social networks. Even IRC can be interpreted to be social media.

Re: US Customs wants to collect social media account names at the border

#133

Post by curryst »

droithomme wrote: post #115
michaelvoz wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Edgy. But really, your comment just cheapens the discussion.

I disagree with you that his comment cheapens the discussion. I do think that your comment cheapens it. His point that the US military, with its illegitimate wars, torture practices, and widespread murder of civilians, is reasonably considered to be a terrorist organization is a reasonable and good comment which advances the discussion intelligently and productively. The fact is that US military are in fact terrorist…

Classifying the US military forces like that just cheapens the word "terrorist". I'm not arguing that everything the US did in Iraq was morally right or justifiable, but it's generally implied that terrorists are almost always non-state actors. If you use that definition almost every nation in the world is full of terrorists. China, North Korea, and large swaths of the Middle East enforce their power using fear, so they're all terrorists. You can chuck in Japan, Italy and Germany for their involvement in WWII and inhumane treatment of PoWs.

In fact, I think Switzerland may be the only country in the world not considered to be terroristic, purely because of their lack of involvement in any major modern wars.

Re: US Customs wants to collect social media account names at the border

#134

Post by centizen »

michaelvoz wrote: post #109
anc84 wrote: post #97

> "Are you a terrorist or affiliate with a terrorist organization?" Sir, yes, sir! I was part of the invasion of Iraq in 2003, sir!

Edgy. But really, your comment just cheapens the discussion.

I don't think so, I think it raises an interesting point about the flexibility of the definition of the word "terrorist"

Re: US Customs wants to collect social media account names at the border

#135

Post by ythl »

droithomme wrote: post #115
michaelvoz wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Edgy. But really, your comment just cheapens the discussion.

I disagree with you that his comment cheapens the discussion. I do think that your comment cheapens it. His point that the US military, with its illegitimate wars, torture practices, and widespread murder of civilians, is reasonably considered to be a terrorist organization is a reasonable and good comment which advances the discussion intelligently and productively. The fact is that US military are in fact terrorist…

The US does not use terror as a weapon in the same way terrorists do. The US Military does not purposely target the innocent.

Re: US Customs wants to collect social media account names at the border

#136

Post by leroy_masochist »

anc84 wrote: post #97

> "Are you a terrorist or affiliate with a terrorist organization?" Sir, yes, sir! I was part of the invasion of Iraq in 2003, sir!

Good thing the woke guy showed up to remind us that military veterans are terrorists

Re: US Customs wants to collect social media account names at the border

#137

Post by nitrogen »

twoodfin wrote: post #77
ihsw wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is already precedent for criminalizing dissent -- Turkey, for example, considers online criticism of Turkey as equivalent to damaging national security by spreading propaganda with the intent to provoke attacks towards the Turkish government. It would be fair to assume the US would be open to such means to improve security.

No, it wouldn't. The US has a long, deep tradition of not criminalizing dissenting views. Exceptions like the Alien & Sedition acts or the "Red Scare" are remarkable because they're so counter to that tradition.

Subtle manipulation is worse than overt criminalization.

Re: US Customs wants to collect social media account names at the border

#139

Post by dang »

anc84 wrote: post #97

> "Are you a terrorist or affiliate with a terrorist organization?" Sir, yes, sir! I was part of the invasion of Iraq in 2003, sir!

I don't think one needs to support the invasion of Iraq to know how deeply uncool a comment like this is on HN. No more political flamebait, please.

We detached this subthread from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11984942 and marked it off-topic.

Re: US Customs wants to collect social media account names at the border

#140

Post by dang »

droithomme wrote: post #115
michaelvoz wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Edgy. But really, your comment just cheapens the discussion.

I disagree with you that his comment cheapens the discussion. I do think that your comment cheapens it. His point that the US military, with its illegitimate wars, torture practices, and widespread murder of civilians, is reasonably considered to be a terrorist organization is a reasonable and good comment which advances the discussion intelligently and productively. The fact is that US military are in fact terrorist…

> The fact is that US military are in fact terrorists, as is the citizenry that supports this terrorist regime with tax money.

Please don't post shrill ideological denunciations to HN. It's not what this site is for, there's no substantive argument that requires it, and one needn't be a militarist to know that.

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