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US Customs Wants To Know Travelers' Social Media Account Names (helpnetsecurity.com)

Orome1 quotes a report from Help Net Security: The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency has submitted a request to the Office of Management and Budget, asking for permission to collect travelers social media account names as they enter the country. The CBP, which is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, proposes that the request "Please enter information associated with your online presence -- Provider/Platform -- Social media identifier" be added to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and to the CBP Form I-94W (Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival/Departure). "It will be an optional field to request social media identifiers to be used for vetting purposes, as well as applicant contact information," the CBP noted. "Collecting social media data will enhance the existing investigative process and provide DHS greater clarity and visibility to possible nefarious activity and connections by providing an additional tool set which analysts and investigators may use to better analyze and investigate the case." The public and affected agencies are asked to comment on the request within 60 days of its publication. Commenters are asked to send their comments to this address.

397 comments

  1. That'll be interesting by thundercattt · · Score: 5, Informative

    Especially when a Slashdot type person goes "don't have one, don't need one, don't want one". Then you end up in the little room as a suspicious person.

    1. Re:That'll be interesting by NotInHere · · Score: 5, Funny

      Just tell them your slashdot ID then. Mine is 3654617.

    2. Re:That'll be interesting by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 1

      "I usually just pick a random number @ mailinator.com if I want to do something on a social network. Wait, what's that? Hey, not the taser, bro!"

    3. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "There is not enough room on this form to list all of them."

      "ALL of them?"

      "Well, all of the active ones. Not enough room."

      "What if you write really small?"

      "Oh, I only have three of those. I can do that."

    4. Re:That'll be interesting by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 5, Funny

      Just tell them your slashdot ID then.

      That's likely to be worse that having no social media!

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    5. Re:That'll be interesting by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      Just tell them your slashdot ID then. Mine is 3654617.

      Please step out of line, sir. I'm going to need you to put your hands where I can see them. Can someone bring me some more rubber gloves?

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    6. Re:That'll be interesting by Z00L00K · · Score: 2

      Or whenever they ask, use national characters making up words like "räksmörgås". It would be interesting to see them trying to type that.

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
    7. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      "None of your Damn Business you fascist pricks" would be my response

    8. Re:That'll be interesting by sshir · · Score: 2

      Or a "not slashdot type person" traveling with wife will have to report his Ashley Madison account...

    9. Re:That'll be interesting by sg_oneill · · Score: 5, Funny

      Please step out of line, sir. I'm going to need you to put your hands where I can see them. Can someone bring me some more rubber gloves?

      Are these grits in your pants sir??????

      --
      Excuse the Unicode crap in my posts. That's an apostrophe, and slashdot is busted.
    10. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just tell them your AOL screen name: Jenny8675309.

    11. Re:That'll be interesting by safetyinnumbers · · Score: 2

      I have the opposite problem - I'd have to decide whether to give them my Google+ or Diaspora account.

    12. Re:That'll be interesting by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 3, Funny

      Just tell them your slashdot ID then. Mine is 3654617.

      If I told them mine was 175943 they would accuse me of lying by claiming so a low ID.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    13. Re:That'll be interesting by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      So from now on it's rank, name, Slashdot-ID?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    14. Re:That'll be interesting by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      It would be nice if you didn't say things like that in polite company. There are standards, ya know...

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    15. Re:That'll be interesting by Darinbob · · Score: 4, Funny

      But it would explain to the customs agent why you have no social life that would require social media.

    16. Re:That'll be interesting by originalGMC · · Score: 3, Insightful

      But it would explain to the customs agent why you have no social life that would require social media.

      That's not one of the multiple choices they offer you.

    17. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      anonymous coward works for me.

    18. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tha law enforcent is quickly coming an impotent fuckfest. They have *nothing* to go with without the "social media", and would obviously be lost if they weren't freely allow to scourge through your Twitter account...

    19. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or just leave. They can't try to stop you because it would be considered assault.

    20. Re:That'll be interesting by Wocko · · Score: 3, Informative

      No they wouldn't.

    21. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My slashdot ID is 1.

      --

      "I'm Spartacus!"

    22. Re: That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Forcing German passports having biometric data (fingerprints basically) was the reason for me to never go to USA even though I have relatives in San Francisco. I refuse to visit a country that treats me as a criminal.

    23. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That special treatment will no doubt be extended to those who claim to have no online social media presence.

      Note to self. Don't make any plans to visit the USA any time soon. The hemorrhoids are bad enough already.

    24. Re:That'll be interesting by sconeu · · Score: 1

      Oh come on. It's not like he said "BELGIUM"!!!

      --
      General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
    25. Re:That'll be interesting by serviscope_minor · · Score: 4, Funny

      Are these grits in your pants sir??????

      No, I'm not pleased to see you, that actually is a beowulf cluster in my pocket.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    26. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is not the GREASED UP YODA DOLL you are looking for. Stick it back in please, sir.

    27. Re:That'll be interesting by Ambassador+Kosh · · Score: 2

      There are still many of us around that have low slashdot ID.

      --
      Computer modeling for biotech drug manufacturing is HARD! :)
    28. Re:That'll be interesting by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      After USA forced Germany to include biometric data (read fingerprints) into the passports, I vowed to never set foot in the USA, even though I have relatives in San Francisco. I refuse to visit a country that treats me like a criminal.

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    29. Re:That'll be interesting by Stephan+Schulz · · Score: 5, Funny

      There are still many of us around that have low slashdot ID.

      I doubt that. Any examples?

      --

      Stephan

    30. Re:That'll be interesting by Cybertect · · Score: 1

      85900 and still around. :-)

      I guess I will be in for some serious questioning next time I go to the US...

    31. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You will be in for some serious questioning once you leave your mom's basement.

    32. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'd have to admit to them I was an Anonymous Coward :(

    33. Re:That'll be interesting by VValdo · · Score: 5, Funny

      If only I hadn't spent those first few months lurking without an account...

      --
      -------------------
      This is my SIG. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
    34. Re:That'll be interesting by quenda · · Score: 1

      I got accused of having a low ID once because its "only" six digits. It made me feel old. How do you guys feel?

    35. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, I think that you should think the other way. At this point I'm really glad to have spent so much time lurking and to have lost the password for the only account I actually ever set up.

      What's your slashdot ID? 0. The original one.

    36. Re: That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You just made me hungry!

    37. Re:That'll be interesting by n00btastic · · Score: 1

      Do I count? Logging in is a pain in the @$$ :/

    38. Re:That'll be interesting by JWSmythe · · Score: 1

      3654617? Kids today...

      JWSmythe ( 446288 )

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    39. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Slashdotters are usually nerds, and nerds are creepy. They should not be allowed near Real People anyway.

    40. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whippersnapper! Get OFF MY LAWN!

    41. Re:That'll be interesting by Stephan+Schulz · · Score: 5, Funny

      If only I hadn't spent those first few months lurking without an account...

      Me too!

      --

      Stephan

    42. Re:That'll be interesting by Nokey · · Score: 1

      14772 Low enough fer ya?

      --
      I'm sorry, but my kharma just ran over your dogma.
    43. Re:That'll be interesting by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 1

      That would be my thought but not my response. Politeness costs nothing, and around "security" personnel it means the truncheon and rubber gloves stay in the drawer instead of going into your drawers...

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    44. Re:That'll be interesting by knoledgesponge · · Score: 0

      Oops, wrong account. As you can see from both of these handles, nothing to be proud of here ;P

    45. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good song.

    46. Re:That'll be interesting by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Oh, what sad times are these when passing ruffians can say Belgium at will to old laddies. There is a pestilence upon this land, nothing is sacred.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    47. Re:That'll be interesting by thegarbz · · Score: 4, Funny

      There are no people on Slashdot with low UIDs. All that is left below the 10000 mark are bots that spend endlessly parsing posts for references for UIDs just so they can make some witty meta comment about themselves.

      Prove you're human.

    48. Re: That'll be interesting by Silverhammer · · Score: 1

      Yo.

    49. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How about 3 digits less than even _you_ ?

    50. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're lucky you don't have slashdot ID of six. You can still claim your are man and not a number for a long time.

    51. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yes Mr/Mrs Officer. Of course I have a social media life. My slashdot account name is "Anonymous Coward".

    52. Re: That'll be interesting by jimhill · · Score: 1

      How YOU doin'?

      --
      Learn to spell: nickel, missile, lose, solely, amendment, speech, kernel, probably, ridiculous, deity, hierarchy, versus
    53. Re:That'll be interesting by Gr8Apes · · Score: 1

      If only I hadn't spent those first few months lurking without an account...

      First few years.... or, if I created an account, lost it long ago, both in reality and in memory.

      --
      The cesspool just got a check and balance.
    54. Re:That'll be interesting by c · · Score: 5, Funny

      There are no people on Slashdot with low UIDs. All that is left below the 10000 mark are bots that spend endlessly parsing posts for references for UIDs just so they can make some witty meta comment about themselves.

      I... dammit. They're onto us!

      --
      Log in or piss off.
    55. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      don't have one, don't need one, don't want one

      So you're one of those people.

    56. Re: That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If only I hadn't started reading Slashdot before they even had an account system, refused to get once they started the fascist system of offering one. Went through 3 or 4 burner accounts before finally biting the bullet and getting one I remembered. If I could remember the first account I signed up for it'd probably be in the low s

    57. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If it walks like a duck...

    58. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Since the US, as you have yourself attested, can pretty much strongarm and country to do its will, what are you going to do when it's the norm everywhere?

    59. Re:That'll be interesting by TheReaperD · · Score: 1

      Shit! The bots are becoming self-aware! The end times are nigh!

      --
      "Be particularly skeptical when presented with evidence confirming what you already believe." -
    60. Re:That'll be interesting by TheReaperD · · Score: 1

      You're wrong... we're all just numbers here. Even the zeros that are ACs.

      --
      "Be particularly skeptical when presented with evidence confirming what you already believe." -
    61. Re:That'll be interesting by TheReaperD · · Score: 1

      If they had any idea what Diaspora was, they'd Gitmo your ass immediately.

      --
      "Be particularly skeptical when presented with evidence confirming what you already believe." -
    62. Re:That'll be interesting by JSC · · Score: 1

      Will 9187 do?

      --
      Time's fun when you're having flies. - Kermit the Frog
    63. Re: That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is that you, drunkelfalk?

    64. Re:That'll be interesting by grub · · Score: 3, Funny

      Grass didn't yet evolve when I was your age. I had to tell kids to get off my gravel.

      --
      Trolling is a art,
    65. Re:That'll be interesting by grub · · Score: 1

      I would have been down in the double digits if it were not for a Yoda doll, AstroGlide, grits, and an extended hospital stay.

      --
      Trolling is a art,
    66. Re:That'll be interesting by kilfarsnar · · Score: 1

      Or just leave. They can't try to stop you because it would be considered assault.

      Some lawmakers are trying to change that. https://www.schneier.com/blog/...

      --
      "What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)
    67. Re:That'll be interesting by rstovall · · Score: 1

      Will 2133 do? :) Been here a long time....

      --
      Confined though we are, infinity dwells within.
    68. Re:That'll be interesting by TheCastro1689 · · Score: 1

      I had an account long ago, I can't remeber the login info, so here I am with a twitter linked account.

    69. Re:That'll be interesting by jjmcwill · · Score: 1

      3569 But it sure isn't what it used to be.

      --
      Opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily those of my employer.
    70. Re:That'll be interesting by jjmcwill · · Score: 1

      And apparently I can't remember my own ID! Young whipper snappers...

      --
      Opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily those of my employer.
    71. Re:That'll be interesting by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      3654617? Kids today...

      JWSmythe ( 446288 )

      Posting just to see what my number is - I had no idea it meant anything. Ooo 1175323.

      I suck..

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    72. Re:That'll be interesting by doggo · · Score: 1

      Just give 'em your MySpace ID.

    73. Re:That'll be interesting by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 2

      There's a thread about pear-shaped nuclei pointing towards some past event. Perhaps that's you?

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    74. Re:That'll be interesting by DutchUncle · · Score: 1

      whatdoyouwantmetodotoproveimhumanstop

    75. Re:That'll be interesting by Mab_Mass · · Score: 1

      Yes Mr/Mrs Officer. Of course I have a social media life. My slashdot account name is "Anonymous Coward".

      "Well, let's just see what you've posted... I'm sorry sir, but we're going to have to shoot you."

    76. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mine is so low that I literally forgot it's UN and PW by now.
      And don't really care enough to login though - but yeah we're still around :D

    77. Re:That'll be interesting by Malc · · Score: 1

      Need I say how easy it will be for them to check the goatse bloke?

    78. Re:That'll be interesting by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      However german passports don't contain biometric data of fingerprints.

      If you had a passport, you knew that :D

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    79. Re:That'll be interesting by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 3, Funny

      Are these grits in your pants sir??????

      No, I'm not pleased to see you, that actually is a beowulf cluster in my pocket.

      Sir, why would you even think it was okay to bring four dead woodchucks onto a plane?

    80. Re:That'll be interesting by Malc · · Score: 1

      M-x psychoanalyze-pinhead

      I am the psychotherapist. Please, describe your problems. Each time
      you are finished talking, type RET twice.

      Yow! Legally-imposed CULTURE-reduction is CABBAGE-BRAINED!

      Why do you say legally imposed culture reduction is cabbage brained?

      Yow! Legally-imposed CULTURE-reduction is CABBAGE-BRAINED!

      Is it because of your plans that you say legally imposed culture
      reduction is cabbage brained?

      Yow! Legally-imposed CULTURE-reduction is CABBAGE-BRAINED!

      Maybe your life have something to do with this.

      Yow! Legally-imposed CULTURE-reduction is CABBAGE-BRAINED!

      What makes you believe legally imposed culture reduction is cabbage
      brained?

      Yow! Legally-imposed CULTURE-reduction is CABBAGE-BRAINED!

      Is it because of the people you hang around with that you say legally
      imposed culture reduction is cabbage brained?

      Yow! Legally-imposed CULTURE-reduction is CABBAGE-BRAINED!

      Is it because of problems at school that you are going through all
      this?

      Yow! Legally-imposed CULTURE-reduction is CABBAGE-BRAINED!

      Are you sure that legally imposed culture reduction is cabbage
      brained?

      Yow! Legally-imposed CULTURE-reduction is CABBAGE-BRAINED!

      Is it because of any hobbies you have that you say legally imposed
      culture reduction is cabbage brained?

      Yow! Legally-imposed CULTURE-reduction is CABBAGE-BRAINED! ... time for a reboot

    81. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Me three!!

    82. Re: That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or the UK for that matter! Polishing up a B-52h now :D

    83. Re:That'll be interesting by kackle · · Score: 1

      Sigh, I spent several years+ (a decade?) before signing up... "Why sign up? I can still read it..."

      Oh well, it's only nerd cred...

    84. Re:That'll be interesting by Frederic54 · · Score: 1

      You beat me! ;-)

      --
      "Science will win because it works." - Stephen Hawking
    85. Re:That'll be interesting by Curunir_wolf · · Score: 1

      Yes Mr/Mrs Officer. Of course I have a social media life. My slashdot account name is "Anonymous Coward".

      If they check your posts, you will surely be deported!

      --
      "Somebody has to do something. It's just incredibly pathetic it has to be us."
      --- Jerry Garcia
    86. Re:That'll be interesting by Dr.+Evil · · Score: 3, Insightful

      This new login thing is a fad.

    87. Re:That'll be interesting by sconeu · · Score: 1

      Mixed up series... but I like it!

      --
      General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
    88. Re:That'll be interesting by hmckee · · Score: 1

      Just missed it. I want a bot!

    89. Re:That'll be interesting by hmckee · · Score: 1

      Arg. Same here. Looks like I got in a few minutes before you.

    90. Re: That'll be interesting by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      *facepalm*
      Reisepass is the passport, not Personalausweis. And it definitely has biometric data, that was introduced about 10 years ago.

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    91. Re: That'll be interesting by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      I don't need a passport for travelling inside EU. My ID card is sufficient and while it is also biometric nowadays, so far the fingerprints have been optional.

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    92. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ooooooo! A three-digit midget!

    93. Re: That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So far. That will change. You know, can't afford another Bataclan...

    94. Re: That'll be interesting by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      But not with a fingerprint.

      Only biometric data regarding the photo.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    95. Re:That'll be interesting by Rick+Zeman · · Score: 1

      14772 Low enough fer ya?

      Barely.

    96. Re:That'll be interesting by msk · · Score: 1

      I gave up moderator points to respond to your false accusation.

      Get off my lawn.

      You prove I'm not human.

    97. Re: That'll be interesting by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      http://www.bmi.bund.de/DE/Them...

      Seit dem 1. November 2007 werden in elektronischen Paessen der zweiten Generation zusaetzlich zwei Fingerabdruecke gespeichert.

      Personalausweis is also biometric nowadays, but fingerprints are - so far - optional.

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    98. Re: That'll be interesting by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      I got a new one a few months ago so I am good for the next 10 years and who knows what happens then.

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    99. Re: That'll be interesting by Z00L00K · · Score: 1

      You're welcome!

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
    100. Re:That'll be interesting by yourpusher · · Score: 1

      Older than you?

    101. Re:That'll be interesting by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Get off my lawn.

      You prove I'm not human.

      Well a real human has a sense of humour ;-)

    102. Re:That'll be interesting by mce · · Score: 1

      Prove that I am not.

    103. Re:That'll be interesting by slashdot_commentator · · Score: 1

      If you defend the use of a "no-fly" list, this is the kind of law enforcement you support.

      --
      There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM and AT&T and DuPont, Dow, General Electric, and Exxon
    104. Re:That'll be interesting by sysrammer · · Score: 1

      If only I hadn't spent those first few months lurking without an account...

      Me too!

      Ha! Off on a tangent, here, but I'm reminded back when AOL added Usenet to their offerings. Some n00b would get on alt.foreign.boobies or whatever and ask someone to "send a picture". Before long, there'd be hundreds of aolers replying to the message..."me too"!

      --
      His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. - Mark Twain
    105. Re:That'll be interesting by sysrammer · · Score: 1

      Prove that I am not.

      That does not compute.

      --
      His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. - Mark Twain
    106. Re:That'll be interesting by don.g · · Score: 1

      Yes, we're all bots. Dice took "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" as inspiration. I woke up in the shed one morning, crawled out of my pelican case, and began searching Slashdot for mentions of low UIDs.

      --
      Pretend that something especially witty is here. Thanks.
    107. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whoa! How did you hack *my* account? =:-o

    108. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      old laddies?
      surely that's 2 mutually exclusive words

      Unless you are Scottish I suppose

    109. Re:That'll be interesting by VValdo · · Score: 2

      Hah! Look at us losers! We BARELY missed four digits! ;)

      --
      -------------------
      This is my SIG. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
    110. Re:That'll be interesting by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      Yea my bad but I just couldn't find a 5th,

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    111. Re:That'll be interesting by bjhavard · · Score: 1

      I guess mine is almost but not quite low enough to count...

    112. Re:That'll be interesting by dcw3 · · Score: 1

      My slashdot ID is 1.

      --

      "I'm Spartacus!"

      Your IQ is not your Slashdot ID

      --
      Just another day in Paradise
    113. Re:That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The irony is I never bother logging in, so that is how I show. Instead of my official Arab sounding username of Iman Azol.

    114. Re:That'll be interesting by bj94north · · Score: 0

      "I'm Spartacus!"

      I am Spartacus!

    115. Re: That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Instant grits = No entry to US

    116. Re:That'll be interesting by gzuckier · · Score: 1

      There are still many of us around that have low slashdot ID.

      oh, ID. i have low slashdot IQ.

      --
      Star Trek transporters are just 3d printers.
    117. Re:That'll be interesting by fpjansen · · Score: 1

      That would postulate that Trump is not a real human. I see your logic...

    118. Re:That'll be interesting by slashdotwannabe · · Score: 1

      Please step out of line, sir. I'm going to need you to put your hands where I can see them. Can someone bring me some more rubber gloves?

      A Slashdotter is about to have his first sexual experience, courtesy of the TSA!

      --
      This comment is my opinion and does not represent an official position of Donald Trump or others I do not work for
    119. Re: That'll be interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't even have that. but I love slashdot

    120. Re: That'll be interesting by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      Seems I was lucky as my Passport was issued 21.05.2007 :D
      But I Need a new one soon, then we see if they have finger print on it.

      IMHO that only would make sense if the print is also on the paper, or they introduce fingerscanners and compare it with the data on the Passport.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
  2. Don't have any... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Guess I'm not going to the US.

    1. Re:Don't have any... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why would you want to?

  3. "optional" as long as you fill it out... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    This will not end well for those without,or who refuse.

    Expect "if you have nothing to hide" arguments.

    1. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1, Insightful

      I don't see this flying very far, as it has privacy implications for those that have no intention of international travel and cannot be offered the opportunity to opt out. I see this as a governmental power play to connect real people to public dissensions on facebook whether the intent is for good or ill.

      This will more than likely be used by political parties to place opposing factions under duress like the people attacking trump supporters.

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    2. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AutodidactLabrat · · Score: 0

      Climate change will exist until we fix it...,or it fixes us
      Problem with science?
      It stays true even for fools who don't believe it
      You need a new tag line in this hottest year ever.

    3. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by slashrio · · Score: 1

      I don't refuse, I just don't know the login/password, and those are on the encrypted HD of my laptop.
      And don't you think for a second that I'm going to decrypt that one here in this office.
      Because..., because..., I forgot the password..., and the written back-up of my password is near the n-th tree (I forgot the exact number) in the garden of ..., uhm..., who was that again...? Geez, I guess I forgot that one also!

      --
      "Trump!!", the new Godwin.
    4. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by dbIII · · Score: 2

      I don't see this flying very far

      That's what I thought about the TSA ball squeezing. Now I would say all bets are off.
      There was a comedy anime where the building destroying "heroes" had a catchphrase "anything can be done in the name of justice!". That's increasingly the line being taken in a slide towards authoritarianism.
      Papers please.

    5. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't see this flying very far...

      That's what they said about Trump...

      People are nuts. Anything can happen.

    6. Re: "optional" as long as you fill it out... by WarJolt · · Score: 1

      Anything can happen is Hillary's economic plan. 1+1=3 with anything can happen Hillary.

    7. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by mattwarden · · Score: 2

      > You need a new tag line in this hottest year ever.

      It's amazing to watch the complete scientific ignorance from the group that pats themselves on the back for being on the side of science.

    8. Re: "optional" as long as you fill it out... by David_Hart · · Score: 0

      See kids, that's what happens when you go to Trump university. You actually think that 1 + 1 = 3...

    9. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by James+McGuigan · · Score: 2

      Goatse.cx - social media for those with nothing to hide

    10. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      it has privacy implications for those that have no intention of international travel and cannot be offered the opportunity to opt out.

      Identifying the username of a person has a knock-on effect on everyone on the planet? This isn't login information. It's just the username of the one person. How is that an issue? You friend some terrorists, and you think that if they all give their username, it'll get you on a list?

    11. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 1

      And don't you think for a second that I'm going to decrypt that one here in this office.

      You might, if I hit you with a $5 wrench hard enough...

      Or perhaps your wife and kids...

    12. Re: "optional" as long as you fill it out... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's what's actually happens... Your profits are 1+1 and cost 3

    13. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't see this flying very far, as it has privacy implications for those that have no intention of international travel and cannot be offered the opportunity to opt out. I see this as a governmental power play to connect real people to public dissensions on facebook whether the intent is for good or ill.

      This will more than likely be used by political parties to place opposing factions under duress like the people attacking trump supporters.

      This is the IS Government response to the fact "jihadi jane" in San Fransciso, California, US, posted on her Facebook account about her terrorist intentions but the government screwed up in it review of her application to come the country.

    14. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Was it perhaps "Dominion Tank Police"?

    15. Re: "optional" as long as you fill it out... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They will have to be careful with the kids bit. I WILL come back, follow them home, and slit their throats.

    16. Re: "optional" as long as you fill it out... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lol @ keyboard liam neeson.

    17. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by dbIII · · Score: 1

      "Dominion Tank Police" and "Ghost in the Shell" by the same author explore that point of view at times but "Zettai Seigi Love Pheromone", part of "Akahori Gedou Hour Rabuge", had it very overtly as a catch cry of one of the heroes.

      It has the superheroine duo "Love Pheromone" causing mass destruction and spreading fear in the fight against evil. Meanwhile the Hokke sisters wish to follow their deceased parents demonic imp advisor to become "excellent evil" but their supernatural plots end up helping people. The "evil" bunch are not so keen on using evil means to reach the evil ends, while the "good" bunch don't care what is done to get a result. It ends up being funnier than it sounds.

    18. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Yvan256 · · Score: 1

      Maybe it was "Dirty Pair". I recall a quote, something along the lines of "It's not our fault, sir! The civilians were in the way!"

    19. Re: "optional" as long as you fill it out... by Yvan256 · · Score: 2

      This is slashdot, where 1+1=10.

    20. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by coofercat · · Score: 1

      > Now I would say all belts are off.

      (well, that's how I read it, anyway)

      As for your main point - Team America World Police had a similar attitude (and possibly wider viewership).

    21. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      You're either being deliberately obtuse or you really don't have a clue.

      I am not going to go into too great of detail on how social media works with you. In this day and age you are expected to be aware or you have no business on it.

        Here's a good rundown in case you're interested: https://research.facebook.com/...

      That said, if someone I know has a relative that's a little whacked I could be said to associate with this person. There are plenty of documented cases where people have gone to jail or been thoroughly investigated for the sake of one or two random comments posted in the heat of the moment.

      I don't want my freedom or quiet life impacted by decisions made about my life or quality of character based on posts by someone I may barely know.

      Google 'mccarthyism' some time and you will see the truth in what I am saying,.

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    22. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      So it's not a "privacy" issue, but a "fear of the government" issue. If you didn't lie to hide your paranoia, then I'd have been able to parse it without needing further clarification. You claim that publicly posting information is "private". Note, nowhere in TFS or TFA did they indicate they investigate "friends" of accounts of people entering. You are making many large unsubstantiated leaps to get to a conclusion you want to see.

      Next time, look at the facts.

    23. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      You're still not looking at this from a realist perspective .

      If one agency has it, then they all will. Think about how that's going to be abused.

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    24. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      They have the username of one person. They would need cooperation from all the social media companies to do anything with it. So are you afraid of the government or Facebook?

      There's nothing anyone could do with it. Worst case is nothing. Expected case is nothing. Nothing will happen, and even so, it's a proposal for an "optional" field. Nobody is talking about requiring it, and it's not in effect now, nor is it currently planned to be.

    25. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      They don't need permission from social media to use the freely available APIs. An ass-ton of information is generated on anyone with a Facebook account and visits a site with a Facebook icon. Companies can harvest this information someone anonymously. Governments will be able to pinpoint one individual and then look at all that data, including where you go which is now tracked by Facebook also.

      You should look into how Facebook works before making assumptions based on the perspective of the consumer. Sorry, you are the product, not the consumer. That's your first and only hint.

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    26. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      And you assert that the government has all that capability, but can't make an educated guess of the username associated with the traveler's name?

      Your idea of government is surprisingly competent and incompetent at the same time.

    27. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      A guessed username won't stand up in court to convict anyone, and if it did, the chance of the wrong someone is high.

      You're not trolling hard enough.

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    28. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      Nobody in the history of the planet has been convicted because they gave a username.

      You're not trolling hard enough.

    29. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      kids jailed over facebook comments

      https://www.google.com/webhp?s...

      You're not googling hard enough.

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    30. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      But not over their username, or someone else giving their username. It was about jailing people who made threats, regardless of how they made them.

      If their friends were jailed for simply being friends with them, then you'd have a point. But what you are describing is impossible, and not anywhere near what anyone wants to do.

      In fact, your link proves you wrong. They had a username. They guessed the owner of the account. And they jailed the guessed owner of the account. The exact thing that you said can't happen, because they'd not be able to do it with just a "guess".

      You proved yourself wrong. Great, we are both in agreement you are 100% wrong.

    31. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      No we are not in agreement.

      Lets take this out of court. Agency X needs to determine if this person is safe to do Y. They get your username and look up your friends and comments and associations. Support he NRA? Have family members that said they want to shoot person Z?

      Guess what list you just got added to?

      This shit happens and no amount of BS from you will change that fact, maybe only alter it's perception but it has and it's just going to get worse.

      >> Patterns repeat themselves

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    32. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      "It happens" only in your mind. The government has all the data. They have so much, they can't do anything with it. It's never used as you describe. If it were, you'd be able to prove me wrong. You can't. You just point to one where it proved you wrong. The person who posted comments (And never gave up his username to the government) was punished for what he did, and nobody on his friends list was punished. Wow, exactly the opposite of what you assert, in every way.

    33. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      Whatever you say Dewd, I know better.

      Good luck.

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    34. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      Yes, you know the truth, about the government and the black helicopters, and anyone who asks for a single example is dismissed as a tool of the establishment.

      You know, that's how mental diseases work.

    35. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      I don't know what your goal here is, and I don't give a rats knackers what you think.

      The reality of the situation is available for anyone to google.

      Now bugger off and go find something else you think you know something about.

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    36. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      My goal here is to make sure that mentally ill people don't spread their lies unchecked. I'm only out to defend the truth, because it's silent when lying idiots like you make up stories about how someone somewhere giving their username would end you up on a watchlist. Yes, Google has the answer. It's never happened, and never will.

    37. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      My goal here is to make sure that mentally ill people don't spread their lies unchecked. I'm only out to defend the truth,

      You're not a fucking Batman. You could be described as being just as looney for declaring yourself some arbiter of all that is true in the world.

      What I have described is obviously my opinion. At no time did I pose as any government agency stating this would happen. More likely than not you're a troll just trying to direct traffic to your shitty 1990's designed website.

      "Join our superheroes Adventureman and Claimjumper as they guide you to the treasures of "The Last Frontier."

      Fucking Alaska, I should have known. You need to get out and meet more people in person sometime.

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    38. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      You could be described as being just as looney for declaring yourself some arbiter of all that is true in the world.

      Reality is the arbiter of what is real. Pointing out that you don't match reality doesn't make me The Arbiter. That you don't understand how reality works is another on your long list of mental illnesses. Seriously, it's a dangerous mental disease you have,

      Fucking Alaska, I should have known.

      Ah, and a bigot. I don't live in Alaska. I just have friends there, and lived there for a while. That you are a narrow-minded bigot is another to add to your mental diseases. You should seek help.

    39. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      So first you're Batman and now Dr Phil?

      The anti-profiling crowd doesn't like it but there are expectations of certain behaviors set by demonstrations of previous patterns based by geography and ethnicity. Ignoring those patterns is what's insane, and in many cases will shorten your life expectation considerably.

      If you can't see the truth in that you're either completely clueless or desperately attempting to live out a dystopian liberal fantasy.

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    40. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      The anti-profiling crowd doesn't like it but there are expectations of certain behaviors set by demonstrations of previous patterns based by geography and ethnicity.

      Profiling works. When 90% of drug dealers are white, but 90% of people put in prison for drug dealing are Black, "profiling" becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy of racism. If you only arrest minorities for crime, they are the only ones caught doing it. Applies to rape too. You are a racist bastard. A lying bigot, and you are clinically insane. You should seek professional help. Seriously. You sound like a danger to yourself and others (though in your mind, mostly others, and you know you are too much a fat lazy bigot to actually get up and go outside, so you aren't "harmful", even when you meet all the clinical definitions).

    41. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      It's amazing watching you whip yourself into a frenzy over an image of me entirely of your own manufacture.

      Accusations are not evidence. You can project your delusions onto whoever you want but you don't know me and my opinions do not define me no more than the opinions or delusions of strangers define me.

      I am of half a mind to meet you in person to see how it is you manage to function on a day to day basis but the language you have used fits the profile of an SJW, and those kind are very dangerous and should be treated like the boils on society that they / you are.

      So with that I am going to sign off with some good reading for you to check out.

      Toodles.

      http://www.nationalreview.com/...
      http://www.philadelinquency.co...
      http://www.therebel.media/_soc...

      This last one is a good example of our conversation in regards to the co-opting behavior of Westen liberal nut-jobs.

      http://wizbangblog.com/2015/09...

      My guess is I have you spot on and it's probably going to piss you off more. At this point you have abandoned logic and reason and have spun yourself an imagined medical diagnosis of some random guy on the Internet and this conversation is bordering on entertaining for me.

      Happy reading!

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    42. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      Aren't you glad you are a racist? Now you can deflect from all the other lies and focus on your right to be a racist. Good for you.

    43. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      Cry all you want. it's not racism but realism to profile. It's not about color but about the demographics of a population based on interests, passions, hobbies, etc.

      Interesting that you thought profiling was about color. You bloody racist, go flog yourself!

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    44. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      Cry all you want. it's not racism but realism to profile.

      It's racist to profile with race as a factor. That you lie now and say you were talking about all races equally, is an obvious lie.

      . It's not about color but about the demographics of a population based on interests, passions, hobbies, etc.

      That's not profiling. That's a detailed background check. That's not what "profiling" is. So, not only do you not know what "racism" is, you don't know what "profiling" is.

    45. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      Not only are you racist but you're uneducated too. Individuals aren't allowed to change history or the definitions of words to suit themselves. That happens over time and is called entomology.

      Standard SJW M.O.

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    46. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      You are a lying racist lecturing others on the study of insects. You should try not using words, unless you understand them.

    47. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      Bah-weep-graaaaagnah wheep nini bong!

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    48. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      sad, when that's the most logic you've used in any of your posts. I guess it's because it's the only time you weren't deliberately lying.

    49. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      The Sky is red. Prove me wrong.

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    50. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      It's red at sunset, at times. Right now, it's black. You'd never accept proof, anyway. You distrus and hate too much for that.

    51. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      It's red at sunset, at times. Right now, it's black

      Well played

      You'd never accept proof, anyway

      Evidence based decision making denies most of our programmed societal social scripting . Most people that are presented with evidence choose to ignore it in favor of projecting the vision of their political world view. Like what kind of behavior to expect from someone based on how their dressed and what they do.

      You distrus and hate too much for that.

      I don't hate, but it's a dangerous world full of people like you. Distrust as the first social scripting to display is generally safer.

      "Oh, you need my social security number, birth-date and mothers maiden name? No problem here you go!".

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    52. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      Oh hey look at this...

      https://yro.slashdot.org/story...

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    53. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      So a private company reading your emails sent through their system is related to the government asking for a screen name for an account they can't access?

      Your logic is simply broken.

    54. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      Working with a former CIA consultant

      You're reading comprehension is below 5th grade or you are one of those paid govt / political shills.

      The facts are before you to draw your own conclusions. People aren't as stupid as you're pretending to be.

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    55. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      So any private contractor who once contracted for the government is and always will be a government agent? Again, your logic fails you.

    56. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      Going forward I know I am feeding a troll, but I will explain just in case you really have the IQ of a four year old.

      In this context the companies are consulting with ex-cia. They aren't teaching the ex-cia guy the ex-cia guy is teaching them.

      If you're teaching something you must have some level of experience prior. There's only two types of people in the world that I can think of that would have experience data-mining social media; SJW's and individuals acting at the behest of a Nations security or military agencies. What the CIA does is obviously classified, but it goes without saying that people coming out of Govt organizations with this kind of teachable knowledge that *just happens* to align with the objectives our Govt has been requesting it's not a leap at all to come to the conclusion that CIA has been data-mining social media.

      Oh wow, look at this:

      https://theintercept.com/2016/...
      http://www.digitaltrends.com/s...
      http://securityaffairs.co/word...
      http://www.usnews.com/news/art...
      http://www.commondreams.org/ne...

      google: Cia data mining social media

      U.S. Customs is just a late comer to the party that's already been going on that you're calling me a conspiracy nut over. News is out man, Go home, and go to bed.

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    57. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      You keep changing the goalposts. I never said the government doesn't look at social media. I stated that someone giving their screen name doesn't affect you.

      By your statements, the government already knows all of your social media, yet you can't explain how someone giving their name will help them, or hurt you, when they already have everything.

      You are completely stupid. They ask questionable questions so that when someone refuses to answer, or lies, they can hold it against them later. It's not to actually investigate everyone as they enter.

      And your assertion that anyone who has ever worked for the government and knows how to do something questionable, is somehow proof that the government is doing illegal things is simply silly. There's no logic in it. It just confirms your conspiracy theories.

    58. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      You keep changing the goalposts.

      You have perfected that action in this thread. I have been countering each and every one of your failed arguments.

      is somehow proof that the government is doing illegal things

      I never said the Govt was doing illegal things, you did.

      confirms your conspiracy theories

      conspiracy

      noun
      a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful.
      "a conspiracy to destroy the government"
      synonyms: plot, scheme, plan, machination, ploy, trick, ruse, subterfuge; informalracket
      "a conspiracy to manipulate the results"
      the action of plotting or conspiring.
      "they were cleared of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice"
      synonyms: plotting, collusion, intrigue, connivance, machination, collaboration; treason
      "conspiracy to commit murder"

      Nope, no Conspiracy theory. Prediction of an extension of an existing behavior to another Govt Agency, Yes.

      Patterns, like history, repeat themselves.

      This thread is what happens when two trolling boneheads insist on having the final word. :)

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    59. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      This thread is what happens when two trolling boneheads insist on having the final word.

      Yes, you have been trolling. That's all you've been doing. As your facts are wrong. You opinion is wrong, and your logic is flawed.

    60. Re:"optional" as long as you fill it out... by Hylandr · · Score: 1

      Both have been trolling, but for a different purpose.

      I have provided evidence to support my opinion, knowing it will elicit a response, hoping you might see reason while trying to determine what kind of person would care so much about what one person thought. Really weird.

      All you have been repeating has been "your facts are wrong. You opinion is wrong, and your logic is flawed.".

      Yet with your last response you have admitted defeat by attacking the least little morsel I provided.

      Are we done here?

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
  4. TL;DR by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Stay the fuck out of america unless you absolutely fucking have to go there

    1. Re:TL;DR by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      Where are thou?

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    2. Re:TL;DR by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Canada,

      I Used to be such a fan of america growing up., I kept want to emigrate to USA
      thank god your country went to shit BEFORE I started that process

    3. Re:TL;DR by hughbar · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Yes, it's very sad. Last time I went was 1989, I'm 65, a Londoner and not planning on going again. Mid 80's I went out with someone from Oregon and was made very welcome, they enjoyed my strange accent too. New York too, immediately you arrive you feel that you drank about five cups of strong coffee (though I guess New Yorkers are immune?).

      I don't think the people have changed that much and, very often, they are lovely. But the government etc. seems to have.

      --
      On y va, qui mal y pense!
  5. Easier to Travel To China by EEPROMS · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As a foreigner who lives outside of china and USA it is far easier to travel around China now than the USA. Also the chances of getting shot at while taking in the views are next to zero in china compared to the USA.

    1. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Harlequin80 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      China is still more effort to get a visa for than the US, for Aussies anyway. But the airports, customs, border control & security theatre in the US is worse.

      I will definitely agree with you on the feeling safe part. China just feels safe.

    2. Re:Easier to Travel To China by JoeyRox · · Score: 1

      That's true, but the chances of being able to "take in the views" in China and actually see something (other than smog) are next to zero as well.

    3. Re:Easier to Travel To China by zedaroca · · Score: 4, Insightful

      As a Brazilian, 100% agreed.
      Chinese visa -> pay a little, send document and passport by mail, get the visa the same way. No explaining, just a 3 month period when I was planning to go.
      American visa -> expensive visa. Fill forms on the Internet explaining my traveling plans (where, who's house, witch hotel), etc and book a date to take a photo and to do an interview. Had to travel to one of the cities with an embassy (1hr by plane), go to one of their photograph centers let them take a photo (for the FBI/NSA/DHS face recognition database, ie be treated like a criminal), then go to the embassy, get huge lines, do the whole security theater thing, do an interview, pay extra to get the visa by mail later.

      Besides the safety aspect, I'm not scared of bringing electronics in/out of China, they won't mess with your luggage. To the US, the only safe option is to discard anything that gets out of your sigh (remember hdd firmware virus), so you are limited to carry on.

    4. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      stats much? your chances of getting shot at while taking in views are next to zero in the USA also..

    5. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Opportunist · · Score: 0

      And everything worth seeing in the US costs extra, so where's the difference?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    6. Re:Easier to Travel To China by bloodhawk · · Score: 0

      and how is that different to the US? been to both countries and pollution difference is pretty minimal apart from the large cities in China where only LA comes close to them.

    7. Re:Easier to Travel To China by quenda · · Score: 1

      Also the chances of getting shot at while taking in the views are next to zero in china compared to the USA.

      Chances of getting shot in the US are similar to getting eaten by a shark in Australia. remote.
      You should be much more worried about getting killed on the road, especially in 3rd world countries, including China.

    8. Re:Easier to Travel To China by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Yep. I was passing through China to Malaysia, but had an overnight stay. They let me get a day visa to visit the city by filling in a small form and going through the passport inspection line with it. No advance planning required.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    9. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you have about a 1 in 3000 chance in the US of being shot, being shot at would obviously be considerably higher. while it is small, it is exponentially greater than most first world countries and even a lot of 3rd world countries.

    10. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I disagree. The ESTA has more things to answer than the Chinese visa and costs are about the same despite the ESTA not being a visa. Also ridiculous that the USA can charge money for a not-a-visa when they have agreements with countries to not charge money for visa applications...

    11. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, but in China if you stay at a hotel it needs to be a hotel approved for use by foreigners. It's very fun being rejected by the hotel management because they don't pay and cooperate with the police to scan foreigner's passports.

    12. Re: Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Annual number of gun deaths is us = ~12,000
      Annual number of shark attacks WORLDWIDE = -80

      I think the chance of being shot in the US is very very much higher.

    13. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As a foreigner who lives outside of china and USA it is far easier to travel around China now than the USA.

      In other news, it's easier to get into the local public toilet than into a bank vault. Imagine that.

    14. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are more likely to get stabbed in most countries than shot in the US. Yes, there are powerful interests trying to make statistics to state otherwise, but most of the US, geography-wise, you are pretty safe. Most of the murders happen in Chicago, Detroit, DC, New Orleans, and other places where tourists should steer clear of. Sane cities like NYC have gun bans in place, and thus almost no shootings.

      Plus, it only will get better. The next President will be banning assault weapons with a stroke of her pen come 2017, and you will be seeing the US join countries like Australia and Venezuela, enacting strict gun laws, which will put a stop to the weekly mass shootings.

    15. Re: Easier to Travel To China by quenda · · Score: 4, Informative

      Annual number of gun deaths is us = ~12,000

      That's truly awful, but I'm talking about tourists. And outside of minority inner-city gangs, the homicide rate in the US is not much worse than other developed countries. Gun violence is something that tourists should be aware of in places like Orlando or New Orleans, but the traffic and smog in China are bigger killers.
      Take precautions, and enjoy your vacation.

    16. Re: Easier to Travel To China by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      It was easier for me to visit USSR back in the 80ies (as a GDR citizen, though). The trip had to be preplanned, but no difficulties otherwise. There were many young GDR guys who backpacked through the soviet union illegally, entering with a transit visum, but the soviets were pretty forgiving when they caught these.

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    17. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Someone with mod points doesn't care for inconvenient truths, eh?

      As a born US citizen who travels frequently to China, it's far faster/easier for me to get through customs etc. when visiting the PRC than it is when I go home to visit family in the USA.

      I also have much more confidence in the abilities and professionalism of the Chinese border people than I do the Wal-Mart castoffs I see working for TSA.

      The part about your chances of getting shot at--also quite true. I still have a little nick in my right earlobe thanks to a ricochet from someone exercising their 2nd Amendment rights a block or so away from me a few years ago. That didn't happen in China.

      Back on topic: My response to such question would be, "I don't do that social media bullshit. I have better ways to waste my time. Any more questions?"

      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
    18. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 1

      There's quite a lot in China that's not in Beijing or Shanghai.

      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
    19. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Someone fed you some BS, then. All hotels in China are required to scan IDs of all registered guests, Chinese or otherwise.

    20. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      not sure why you are modded down, it is 100% accurate, both countries have horrible pollution levels, China is only ahead in the major cities, rest of the country is pretty similar.

    21. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or lead to single events dwarfing a year of shootings. Ugh, there's a reason I don't like to antagonize the guy able to afford a $25K gun, and willing to pay it.

    22. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      you have about a 1 in 3000 chance in the US of being shot, being shot at would obviously be considerably higher. while it is small, it is exponentially greater than most first world countries and even a lot of 3rd world countries.

      Depends on where you go.

      Based on those odds I would have been shot at least 10 times living near the large city that I do, and more than that when I lived near L.A.

      But I have never been shot or even shot at traveling anywhere around the USA, and I have been to some pretty interesting places "for work reasons".

      The closest I came to "risking my life" was having to travel into South-Central L.A. for business reasons.

      Seriously. Business. My customer was the County Sheriff's Department. They even offered to escort me to the work location on my next visit if I felt uncomfortable; it was just a matter of calling them a few hours in advance an arranging a meeting point outside the "danger zone".

    23. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It's for your own good! Or at least, that money is supposed to fund a marketing campaign to try and take away the unease caused by the security theatre. So the tourists won't stay away and all that because of the theatre, don't you know. Irony? It's the law!

      On another note, plenty countries put that chip in your passport, and fingerprint you, putting the readings and a picture and a whole lot more data in that chip, because of this not-a-visa thing, because then you can get to the US "without hassle", don't you know.

      Then there was this interpol chief who speeched advocating segregated checking lanes, green, yellow, red, based on an indicator on that chip as to whether you were a terrorist or not. IOW he wanted to have your government condemn you to latex glove screening, or not, as the case may be. There's no room for error here at all, much less graft, nosiree, I don't see how this can possibly go wrong. But it is the international "security" brass "thinking".

      So asking for your social media accounts is but a natural extension of the US government's incessant (and largely useless) data hunger. They already record things like what books you've been seen reading on the 'plane. I'm quite sure they regret not pushing for a "social media" field to store it all conveniently on that chip in your passport, so they can take a copy as soon as you get in reach of their scanners. How long did they keep all that data again? 75 or 99 years, wasn't it? (I say that's hubris; in that much time there won't be any USG to speak of, but in the meantime those databases will leak a couple times. Silently, probably, say through AWOL backups hushed up for the embarrasment.)

      Over here they don't even give you the option to get a passport without that chip (Switzerland does, though, but not the EU countries). In fact, I'm legally required to have an "ID card" that also contains that chip and has to be fingerprinted for even though it's not even valid for travel outside the EU. I'm also required to carry it with me always--it's an offence to be unable to produce it upon request by the relevant authorities. That's cops and other government types, but includes many (but not all) kinds of rent-a-cops since they do have some sort of legal status. Everyone 14 years old and up is required to comply. Thus this convenient vehicle of chipping passports spread its effects far and wide.

      So the US isn't the only party playing hooky, but they do lead the pack and provide the convenient excuses for its "friends". It might be unintended, but they are real consequences of "protecting freedom" the American Way.

      Thanks, guise.

    24. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      In the 12k+ some days in the USA I have lived, I have never been shot at, let alone been shot.. so is that 1 in 3000 chance the odds while in the armed forces or something? by those bullshit numbers you pulled out of nowhere I should have been shot 4 times.. and obviously shot at much more.. I dont know anyone whom has been ever been shot.

    25. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      last I checked 0.003 is next to zero, a few of em actually.

    26. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I disagree. The ESTA has more things to answer than the Chinese visa and costs are about the same despite the ESTA not being a visa. Also ridiculous that the USA can charge money for a not-a-visa when they have agreements with countries to not charge money for visa applications...

      If ESTA is something official you need to visit the country it is a visa, that is what a visa is.

      It is essentially a visa you need to show you don't need a visa. And only not called a visa because it is in blatent violation with the travel deals the US has made with every western country.

    27. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, but Australia is a state of the US so of course it will be easier to travel to mainland US than to China.

    28. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      LOL, no President has or will have the ability to ban weapons defined by cosmetic features by the stroke of a pen. We already tried that once, the legal and proper way via congress and the studies are conclusive the AWB had no impact on crime. This congress isn't going to reinstate that misguided law.

    29. Re:Easier to Travel To China by prefec2 · · Score: 1

      Hey that sounds familiar. I had to do the same once when I wanted to visit East Germany. However, they did not require an interview, but an invitation.

    30. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sooo... You only know white people, then?

    31. Re: Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yeah asking money for what is a visa is a big joke... shame that other countries didnt immediately make the same for americans.

    32. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Zontar_Thing_From_Ve · · Score: 1

      As a foreigner who lives outside of china and USA it is far easier to travel around China now than the USA.

      Except for Tibet. Try to go there sometime. Unless things have changed Tibet is currently closed to foreign visitors although that doesn't mean it won't ever open up to them again. If you have a visa to come to the USA there aren't any states that are closed to you as a tourist.

    33. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Meh, with simple watching of social media as a probable cause for possession of prohibited firearms, plus common sense gun laws (with the goal being "own a gun and not be in the police/military, go to prison"), the guy with the 25k gun will be locked up just as well as anyone else. If there is a single event, it just means that more people will rally around stricter laws and better enforcement.

      Guns are not like marijuana. Stop sales of ammo and firearms, and use mention of it on social media as probable cause for a "hand 'em over" raid, the US will be a safe country just like Australia soon enough. You can't grow gunpowder, brass casings, or bullets. It takes some sort of supply which is relatively easy to cut off.

      Passing another AWB is a good step. Then as time goes on, add to that list, such as 1911 style auto pistols, plastic weapons like Glocks, and so on.

    34. Re: Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm talking about tourists

      Don't underestimate the drawing power of the motor city.

    35. Re: Easier to Travel To China by amRadioHed · · Score: 1

      Most people spend a pretty small amount of time actually in an ocean. While you're actually in the shark's environment it sounds like you're quite a bit more likely to be attacked by a shark.

      --
      We hope your rules and wisdom choke you / Now we are one in everlasting peace
    36. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      With all that hassle, why would you want to go to a country they clearly doesn't want you fouling their air with your existence? There are many more countries that would welcome your as a tourist from Brazil. Try Portugal, you'll love it, and have no language worries.

    37. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But the airports, customs, border control & security theatre in the US is worse.

      Emphasis mine. No way, mate. Beijing is the craziest, most stressful airport I have ever been in. Absolute mayhem.

    38. Re:Easier to Travel To China by stealth_finger · · Score: 1

      Over here they don't even give you the option to get a passport without that chip (Switzerland does, though, but not the EU countries). In fact, I'm legally required to have an "ID card" that also contains that chip and has to be fingerprinted for even though it's not even valid for travel outside the EU. I'm also required to carry it with me always--it's an offence to be unable to produce it upon request by the relevant authorities. That's cops and other government types, but includes many (but not all) kinds of rent-a-cops since they do have some sort of legal status. Everyone 14 years old and up is required to comply. Thus this convenient vehicle of chipping passports spread its effects far and wide.

      Where is that? Not in the UK, but then we never fully played by the rules. Now we don't even want to play the game apparently but I digress. I've never seen a biomentric pass card thing. The idea gets bandied about now and again but usually shut down pretty quick. I know there's a general EU ID card thing but never heard that it or something similar was mandatory.

      --
      Wanna buy a shirt?
      https://www.redbubble.com/people/stealthfinger/shop?asc=u
    39. Re:Easier to Travel To China by stealth_finger · · Score: 1

      American visa -> expensive visa. Fill forms on the Internet explaining my traveling plans (where, who's house, witch hotel), etc and book a date to take a photo and to do an interview. Had to travel to one of the cities with an embassy (1hr by plane), go to one of their photograph centers let them take a photo (for the FBI/NSA/DHS face recognition database, ie be treated like a criminal), then go to the embassy, get huge lines, do the whole security theater thing, do an interview, pay extra to get the visa by mail later.

      Besides the safety aspect, I'm not scared of bringing electronics in/out of China, they won't mess with your luggage. To the US, the only safe option is to discard anything that gets out of your sigh (remember hdd firmware virus), so you are limited to carry on.

      Is that just for going there or part of a long term thing? And does being Brazilian have anything to do with it or is that just how they treat visitors nowadays?

      --
      Wanna buy a shirt?
      https://www.redbubble.com/people/stealthfinger/shop?asc=u
    40. Re: Easier to Travel To China by stealth_finger · · Score: 1

      Annual number of gun deaths is us = ~12,000

      That's truly awful, but I'm talking about tourists. And outside of minority inner-city gangs, the homicide rate in the US is not much worse than other developed countries. Gun violence is something that tourists should be aware of in places like Orlando or New Orleans, but the traffic and smog in China are bigger killers. Take precautions, and enjoy your vacation.

      The homicide rate just from cops is higher than some countries.

      --
      Wanna buy a shirt?
      https://www.redbubble.com/people/stealthfinger/shop?asc=u
    41. Re:Easier to Travel To China by stealth_finger · · Score: 1

      Back on topic: My response to such question would be, "I don't do that social media bullshit. I have better ways to waste my time. Any more questions?"

      When they look at you funny and unclip their holsters just tell them you have a 4 digit slashdot ID and you'll be ok.

      --
      Wanna buy a shirt?
      https://www.redbubble.com/people/stealthfinger/shop?asc=u
    42. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      As a native of the USA that has never been to China, I can't tell you definitively that you're full of shit, but I can tell you that there are literally zero restrictions on travel within the US. None. Nada. Nil.

      I can also tell you that your chances of "getting shot at while taking in the views" are pretty much the zero as well. Places you're more likely to get shot aren't known for their "views". And make no mistake, despite the media's panicky, fevered squeals, you are very unlikely to be shot anywhere in the US. Especially as a tourist. Most of the world-famous US gun violence is gang-related.

    43. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      duh. why would you risk getting shot?

    44. Re:Easier to Travel To China by bickerdyke · · Score: 1

      I have an idea which country he is referring to, but it is NOT Germany.

      But it is a common misconception (even in Germany) that you are required to carry your ID card with you. You are required to own either a passport or ID as these are the only official proofs of identity. And when required to proof your identity (what cops worldwide could require you to do) , it is the most convenient way to do. Driving licences usually will do, too, and I've seen police accepting bus month passes, but that's up to the officer.

      Please check at least wikipedia before proliferating urban legends.

      --
      bickerdyke
    45. Re:Easier to Travel To China by bickerdyke · · Score: 1

      On the other hand, if it was a visa, it would grant you access to the country, which the ESTA form explicitly does not.

      --
      bickerdyke
    46. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But it is a common misconception (even in Germany) that you are required to carry your ID card with you. You are required to own either a passport or ID as these are the only official proofs of identity. And when required to proof your identity (what cops worldwide could require you to do) , it is the most convenient way to do.

      Which can happen anywhere and if you don't cough up your papers right away you're going to be brought in and get to cool your heels for hours while they figure out who you might be--possibly in the local alien detention centre, because without proof of citizenship you must be an alien, right? Right. And then you get slapped with a fine for not promptly coughing up your papers. It regularly happens.

      Meaning that just about everyone carries these cards just about everywhere because it's effectively expected of them.

      So you can shove your technicalities: These "misconceptions" are the basis of the daily reality.

      Please check at least wikipedia before proliferating urban legends.

      Which would those be? The ones that are actually well-documented in the local law books, you mean?

    47. Re:Easier to Travel To China by IMightB · · Score: 1

      My wife is Malay, I've had extended layovers in HK and Taiwan, is it realy that easy to leave the airport for a bit and see some of the city? Just wondering cause I'm going back in a few weeks and have another long layover.

    48. Re:Easier to Travel To China by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

      My wife is Malay, I've had extended layovers in HK and Taiwan, is it realy that easy to leave the airport for a bit and see some of the city? Just wondering cause I'm going back in a few weeks and have another long layover.

      I've done it in Guanzhou once and HK several times.
      When I was traveling on business to Shenzhen, I had to get a visa ahead of times. So I think they treat tourist trips and business trips differently.
      I travel on a UK passport. I don't know if a Malay passport is treated differently by China.

      When it comes to visiting China, HK != the rest of china.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    49. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Most of the murders happen in Chicago, Detroit, DC, New Orleans. Sane cities like NYC, Chicago, and DC have gun bans in place, and thus almost no shootings.

      Clearly, gun bans have no correlation with gun homicides.

    50. Re: Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Other than the people that live there, most people spend a pretty small amount of time in gang infested ghettos too.

    51. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's funny. As an American, the corp I work for does the same thing if we visit China or Russia - new clean laptop issued, and it's basically scrapped when we're back in country.

      Worse: the costs associated were one of the justifications used to cut back on international travel/meetings. It's not my fault they basically added an extra $2k in cost to international tickets...

    52. Re:Easier to Travel To China by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      You didn't take the 'South Central LA, 13th avenue crips walking tour'? With complementary red cloths...

      The views in south central really are spectacular.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    53. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Harlequin80 · · Score: 1

      Fair enough. I went through Beijing & Guanzhou airport at easter. Beijing was actually pretty quiet for us. Guanzhou was busy though and really didn't have any good shops.

      I travelled with two young kids, 5 & 2, no drama at all.

    54. Re:Easier to Travel To China by Harlequin80 · · Score: 1

      You can do the ESTA online though. To get the China visa I had to go into a building in Brisbane city, get a number and wait. Then I didn't have my kids birth certificates to go with their passports so had to go home and do it all again the next day. Then a week later I had to go and pick my passports up from the visa centre.

      Also I was required to provide details of every hotel I was going to be staying in. I didn't need to do that for the US.

    55. Re:Easier to Travel To China by houghi · · Score: 1

      I did it online for the US Visa. However that was no easy task. I lkive in a EU country I was not born in and do not have the nationality of.
      They asked the Social Security number of the country I was born in. As I have never worked there, I do not have one.
      To get one I would need to travel to said country and get it sorted out. That would take a while.
      The ambassy of said country are assholes and don't do anything. So I called the US one. They told me they thought it might be ok if I would put in 'unknown'. Obviously no guarantee if I would be allowed into the country when I arrived.
      It was clear they were just guessing here and had no idea what the procedure was.

      Arriving in JFK reminded me of when I traveld to Berlin by car when the wall still existed. Basically incompetent people put in a uniform to annoy people and put on a show. And all the time saying they are their for your safety and they are just following orders.

      --
      Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
    56. Re:Easier to Travel To China by gzuckier · · Score: 1

      That's true, but the chances of being able to "take in the views" in China and actually see something (other than smog) are next to zero as well.

      there was just a piece on bbc tv about china's national parks. apparently they have more acreage in national parks than the US does at this point. and being largely new, they're all cutting edge ecologically preserved, walkways over the dunes to prevent footprints, etc. and lots of tourist amenities. Honestly, they looked really appealing.

      --
      Star Trek transporters are just 3d printers.
  6. Meanwhile.... by matbury · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...extremists are busy creating new FB accounts and smothering them with cat pics and lolz.

    1. Re:Meanwhile.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No kidding. What's the point of this? Do they expect that someone who wishes to do harm is really going to write down that @ISISjihad911 is their Twitter ID? The whole idea is preposterous.

    2. Re:Meanwhile.... by maliqua · · Score: 1

      they just want to amass as much of it as possible and feed it to 3 letter agencies

    3. Re:Meanwhile.... by bloodhawk · · Score: 2

      I am not involved in anything dodgy, but I keep a set of very clean social media accounts just for purposes of job interview, security checks and because some people I really don't want to interact with and the best way to avoid them is just give them my "clean" social media identity which I almost never use. update them maybe once every few months.

      why do it? well I like to have open and honest discussions with friends as well as joke around and I want to do that without having to be concerned that something politically incorrect said or posted by me or a friend is taken out of context or used against me at a later date. Once it is posted under your name it is near impossible to remove it.

    4. Re:Meanwhile.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I am not involved in anything dodgy, but I keep a set of very clean social media accounts just for purposes of job interview, security checks and because some people I really don't want to interact with and the best way to avoid them is just give them my "clean" social media identity which I almost never use. update them maybe once every few months.

        why do it? well I like to have open and honest discussions with friends as well as joke around and I want to do that without having to be concerned that something politically incorrect said or posted by me or a friend is taken out of context or used against me at a later date. Once it is posted under your name it is near impossible to remove it.

      It's cute the way you think a database like the one possessed by Facebook (or anything remotely similar) can't be used to prove that the same person created both accounts. That too could be used against you at a later date, by openly linking what you thought were separate accounts instead of merely covertly linking them like what they do today.

      If you are truly dedicated to the kind of hardcore opsec it would take to never form such correlations, bearing in mind that a single innocent mistake you made years ago is all it would take, that "mistake" tends to include "used the same computer and/or IP address even once", well, then you likely would value security more than using social media in the first place.

      While it's rather basic, you may find this interesting. Bear in mind that these are criminal charges. The standard of proof to link two social media accounts is even lower.

    5. Re:Meanwhile.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If the the 3 letter agencies can't figure it out without making everyone fill out a form, that's yet another reason to get rid of the 3 letter agencies.

    6. Re:Meanwhile.... by Ihlosi · · Score: 1
      If the the 3 letter agencies can't figure it out without making everyone fill out a form, that's yet another reason to get rid of the 3 letter agencies.

      The TLAs already know. The point of the changes is to create a nice and official way to use this information, without having to reveal the means and capabilities of said TLAs.

    7. Re:Meanwhile.... by BitterOak · · Score: 1

      ...extremists are busy creating new FB accounts and smothering them with cat pics and lolz.

      That's exactly what the U.S. Customs agents are counting on. They're hoping that the unsavory characters they want to keep out will create fake Facebook and Twitter accounts and they're also hoping that these people will be stupid enough to create these same accounts from the same IP address used to create and update their real accounts.

      --
      If I can be modded down for being a troll, can I be modded up for being an orc, or a balrog?
    8. Re:Meanwhile.... by bloodhawk · · Score: 1

      its cute you think that the sort of people I am combating with this have that sort of access, you must be terrified of your neighbours and there supreme power,

    9. Re:Meanwhile.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      its cute you think that the sort of people I am combating with this have that sort of access, you must be terrified of your neighbours and there supreme power,

      I was referring to Facebook themselves. They can easily know that the same person created both "separate" accounts. At any time in the future they can visibly link the two accounts. So your scheme depends on the goodwill of an entity you cannot control - an entity whose founder has shown open hostility towards its users (Zuckerberg saying they're "dumb fucks" etc). That's the point.

      Terror and neighbors has nothing to do with it. You're just deciding to be dense and thick-headed instead of understanding the point that is being made. That's a common reaction on this site and reflective of the average level of emotional maturity of its users. In common parlance, there's a lot of smug motherfuckers on here who resent that someone came up with anything they hadn't already thought of. Grow up and accept this - it's a good thing. It's called conversation.

    10. Re:Meanwhile.... by gzuckier · · Score: 1

      I am not involved in anything dodgy, but I keep a set of very clean social media accounts just for purposes of job interview, security checks and because some people I really don't want to interact with and the best way to avoid them is just give them my "clean" social media identity which I almost never use. update them maybe once every few months. why do it? well I like to have open and honest discussions with friends as well as joke around and I want to do that without having to be concerned that something politically incorrect said or posted by me or a friend is taken out of context or used against me at a later date. Once it is posted under your name it is near impossible to remove it.

      My social media account, officer? Uh, leatherbumfreak @ prodigy.net.....

      --
      Star Trek transporters are just 3d printers.
    11. Re:Meanwhile.... by petermgreen · · Score: 1

      My guess is that they are trying to catch people who intend to or have in the past worked illegally in the USA while pretending to be tourists. Some fraction of those people will be dumb enough to blab about it on social media and dumb enough to give details of said social media account to the border gaurds.

      --
      note: i'm known as plugwash most places but i screwd up registering that here somehow in the past and now can't register
  7. Here's my comment... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    FUCK YOU CBP.

  8. Bunch of morons at CBP by mea2214 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Any real terrorist cell with two brain cells to put together will have a well maintained perfectly clean set of social media accounts. All I see is a huge jobs program requiring more CPB "investigators" to vet all this bullshit.

    1. Re:Bunch of morons at CBP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They're just going to "vet" the cute chicks coming through.

      I mean, I would.

    2. Re:Bunch of morons at CBP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Any real terrorist cell with two brain cells to put together will have a well maintained perfectly clean set of social media accounts. All I see is a huge jobs program requiring more CPB "investigators" to vet all this bullshit.

      In Russian it's called "maskirovka".

    3. Re:Bunch of morons at CBP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      In fairness, there seem to be a lot of terrorists and other criminals who are not very intelligent.

    4. Re:Bunch of morons at CBP by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      They are only interesting in catching the low hanging fruit, the idiots who post ISIS propaganda on their Facebook page before trying to enter the US. Throw in some students who post about how they are going to have a wild party and you have your quota for that month. Look, we made the border even worse than last month, see how vitally important we are to national security?!

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    5. Re:Bunch of morons at CBP by OpenSourced · · Score: 1

      That's not so easy to do well. We are not talking criminal masterminds here. They are rejects from the plow that value their own lives at null, and who are we to argue about that.

      --
      Rome taught me patience and assiduous application to detail. Virtues which temper the boldness of great, general views.
    6. Re:Bunch of morons at CBP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      this is the same Visa Waiver form that has a question on it;

      Are you coming to the USA to perform a terrorist act?

      from the organisation/country that calls a Visa a Visa Waiver???!???
      (just did a new Visa last month)

  9. No Problem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    My username is TSAAreKnobGobblers69 (because 1 through 68 were already taken).

    1. Re:no problem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How do you think I feel? Mine are:
      @FuckTheNSAThoseCockSuckingAssBlastingFaggots
      and
      @TheFBICanSuckMyThrobbingOozingTwitchingCock

      <sigh>, I'm never going on holiday again...

  10. I have 11,000~ accounts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Which ones do they want?

  11. On Fetlife I'm... by RJFerret · · Score: 2

    On Fetlife I'm...

    On Literotica I'm...

    On MyFreeCams I'm...

    On Google+ I'm... (of course you aren't in my circle, but I do share publicly about once a week)

    On Twitter you won't see activity ever since Google+ came on the scene.

    On Youtube, oh wait, you didn't like the Fetlife stuff; you can't see the private stuff on Youtube anyway, been years since I posted a public video...

    Makes me wonder if anyone's kink is learning others' kinks?

    1. Re:On Fetlife I'm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well they're certainly not doing this to catch terrorists.

    2. Re:On Fetlife I'm... by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      But online at least you don't catch anything else either.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    3. Re:On Fetlife I'm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But online at least you don't catch anything else either.

      Except your SO surfing AshleyMadison.com, perhaps.

    4. Re:On Fetlife I'm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So I'm not the only one with accounts on all those? :)

    5. Re:On Fetlife I'm... by pla · · Score: 1

      Aside from your intended joke, I kinda wondered about what you bring up - Some of us old-timers (even the ones like me that loathe modern "social media") have literally hundreds of online presences.

      Form "CBP Form I-94W" better have a looot of extra pages at the end...

    6. Re:On Fetlife I'm... by SuiteSisterMary · · Score: 1

      Here you go Sonny; my FidoNet address, my Geocities address, my angelfire address....

      --
      Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
  12. Oh boy by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

    And when I say I don't have any social media accounts, how long will it take for me to get out of the "suspicious person detention cage"?

    I have no facebook, no twitter, no instagram, no pinterest, no linkedin, no nothin'. I'm screwed.

    Guess it's time to make a bunch of accounts and fill them with pictures of adorable cats and cute puppy dogs.

    --
    Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    1. Re:Oh boy by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Do what I did, create an account and make the only entry "This thing here exists because employers and other nosy assholes want to snoop into my life and I was afraid someone could create an account with my name, fill it with bullshit and some idiot could actually think it's me. No, there aren't going to be any updates. And fuck you for looking at this in the first place!"

      (text slightly altered for obvious reasons, doxing should at least take a little effort...)

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  13. Need to know? by AutodidactLabrat · · Score: 2

    No one needs to know all my associates and random online links.
    no one but a slave would answer that question.

    1. Re:Need to know? by dbIII · · Score: 1

      no one but a slave would answer that question.

      Or someone intimidated by the guy with the gun. Or somebody about to miss a connecting flight. Or somebody who wants to get back in line so he can be back with his kids before the TSA gropes the kids as they have been known to do. Or ...

      The answer is not to be defiant and get put in a cage for refusing to act as if you are already in a cage - the answer is to stop these fuckers from abusing their overwhelming power in the first place. You chose to act like a slave by flying in the current environment anyway. This current overstepping of the bounds is just a new symptom.

    2. Re:Need to know? by urdak · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The American Security Theater Administration (or whatever their real name is) already asks people going into the US idiotic questions - I've been asked for the address of my hotel, address and phone numbers of my relative in the US (why?), the address of the university I finished 20 years ago (why, you want to send them mail?), and a lot of other crap. Clearly, I could invent random responses and the interviewer would not know any better. I could also claim I didn't have or didn't know an answer. But do you know anybody who, after spending thousands of dollars on a vacation, would risk it all just to spite the security interviewer? So everybody (except the actual terrorists, of course) just tells these guys the truth. And hates the American culture just a little bit more :-(

    3. Re:Need to know? by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 1

      I've been asked for the address of my hotel, address and phone numbers of my relative in the US (why?), the address of the university I finished 20 years ago (why, you want to send them mail?), and a lot of other crap...

      *I* get asked this kind of shit when entering, and I'm coming in on a US passport bearing a very Anglo-Saxon name and face (very obviously mine), and showing that I was born there. I get hassled less when I visit China. WTF?

      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
    4. Re:Need to know? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've had similar experiences. For me it seems very much on the individual and the city. Philadelphia is where I've had my worst experiences personally. Some punk kid on a power trip. I finally got him when he was wanting to know how much money I had on me so I pulled my wallet out and started going through it very visibly. He freaked out and I was through about 2 seconds later, I think he was worried that on camera it looked like he was trying to get a bribe out of me as I was looking quite angry at that point. But then in Minnesota I've had some of the most friendly customs officials anywhere in the world. Sadly it's mostly the agent you get stuck with, though it does speak poorly to the agency that they don't keep power hungry ass hats out of there.

    5. Re: Need to know? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wtf are you talking about ?

      Those are standard questions going to any country. How many you get asked depends on your appearance, the mood of the guy behind the desk, and the answer to your first question. They're just seeing if you trip up.

      Again - many countries won't even let you in without "proof" of where you're staying and return flight.

      I hate how foreigners get treated at US customs, but most Americans just get a "welcome home". Unless you're a shady mother fucker.

    6. Re:Need to know? by Ihlosi · · Score: 1
      Clearly, I could invent random responses and the interviewer would not know any better

      That's not the point of the interview. The real point is that at some point in the future, if it becomes necessary or convenient, you can and will be charged with lying to immigration official, sentenced, and jailed/deported.

    7. Re:Need to know? by houghi · · Score: 1

      Fun thing is that when I went to the US I had NO idea where I would be staying or going. That is how I travel. I arrive and then I will see where I go and where I will stay. I know roughly what I want to see, but that changes a lot.

      If I like a place I stay longer, If I don't I drive on and that will depend on the mood I am in.

      And there is no option for 'I have no idea' for any of it, so I had to book a hotel so I had some sort of info. I also bought a throw away SIM card, because fuck them. I did a fresh image on my PC and left it without password, so they could not find anything there.
      Download was then later done with all the info via ssh.

      And all this to travel to "Home of the free". You keep using that word, but I don't think it means what you think it means.

      --
      Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
  14. Why wouldn't they? by EzInKy · · Score: 1

    People give out this information freely.

    --
    Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.
  15. Are you fucking kidding me?! by sshir · · Score: 1
    What about dating sites? There's a LOT of info there. Take OKC for example - religion, actual sexual orientation, political leanings, etc. etc. etc.

    What the fuck?!!!!

    1. Re:Are you fucking kidding me?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What about dating sites?

      What about them?, do you seriously think people post real information about themselves on them?

      Take OKC for example - religion, actual sexual orientation, political leanings,

      Ah, well let me modify my statement slightly then, do you seriously that that people post 100% accurate information about themselves to dating sites?, or is it more likely to be an idealised and aggrandized version of one of their self images put up as a shiny lure with the aims of eventually getting laid?

  16. When does the insanity end? by surfdaddy · · Score: 3, Funny

    I mean, just pull us all into the back room and start the waterboarding already.

    1. Re:When does the insanity end? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I mean, just pull us all into the back room and start the waterboarding already.

      From one who identifies online as "surfdaddy"... Cute.

  17. *Sigh* by DivineKnight · · Score: 4, Interesting

    They don't learn, do they? L'il Bobby Tables & friends it is then. They're probably running some version of Oracle on the backend, so keep that in mind while you are registering your new completely legitimate social media account names expressly for this use.

    1. Re:*Sigh* by sshir · · Score: 2
    2. Re:*Sigh* by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Shhh, don't spoil my fun, my flight's tomorrow.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    3. Re:*Sigh* by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For the Google impaired? How about, "here's a link because it's incredibly stupid to require a company to connect the internet in an increasingly centralized hub-and-spoke model when decentralized and robust linking has existed from the beginning".

  18. Anonymous Coward by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    My online presence is Anonymous Coward. You will notice from my history, that I have nothing to hide. In fact, you may not even see my posts, unless you click load all comments 1000 times.

    1. Re:Anonymous Coward by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow! You are one sick bastard! The obscenities and inanities you slime the interweb with are at times creative and other times merely offensive to all.

      You even reply to yourself.

  19. give them... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Slashdot.org" / "Anonymous Coward"

  20. no problem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    @gofuckyourself

    sincerely,
    AC

  21. @KillTheInfidel by Jack_the_Tripper · · Score: 1

    Umm...

    So just have a seperate account you use to plan the destruction of Western Civilization, maybe? Just sayin'...

    Or it could just be a pre-screening step to figure out which ones are stupid enough to get caught up in one of the FBI's entrapment schemes since that's the only way they actually catch any 'terrorists'.

  22. Major problem! by no-body · · Score: 1

    If you don't have one, they won't believe you and you are suspicious...?

    So - where is the personal freedom the US-folks are so proud of?

    I think this goes along religious freedom - do you have to tell anyone what "religion", you belong to or none if you are agnostic?

    Do you have to tell anyone what political party or flavor you belong to, find good?

    On the same level believe in what's happening in Soc. Media or the purpose of it being beneficial or not.
    - what books you read, like, find good or despise..

    Mind control....

    All this (Trump talk and direction of primitive thought) can severely backfire into something like 3rd Reich, where people were classified by some criteria and then the whole accumulated hatred in people not belonging to this "class" was ignited by some needy demagogue and has been directed to those classes.

    Still happening all over, just look....

    1. Re:Major problem! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The USA, Land of the Free. Where you need a license to do just about anything. Free? My Arse are they free.
      This will not catch any terrorists. Stupid move really.
      Any yes, I do not have any social media presence. Never felt the need to tell the world that I've just been to the crapper or where I am.

  23. https://tech.slashdot.org/stor...

    It's not just the United States, and it isn't against the citizens of the United States.

    --
    _ _ _ Go for the eyes Boo! GO FOR THE EYES!
    1. Re:Uh by MitchDev · · Score: 1

      YET

    2. Re:Uh by bugs2squash · · Score: 1

      It must be more difficult to force US citizens to answer these kinds of questions, it's not as if they can refuse a US citizen entry if they don;t answer it.

      --
      Nullius in verba
  24. Same Same Thailand by jmd · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Thai Immigration is beginning to request the same information of foreigners entering or staying in the country. Thailand is under military junta at the moment.

    I am living in Thailand on a Non - Immigrant retirement visa and had thought I might leave, in part, due to this invasion of privacy. But I see the US junta has the same aspirations.

    1. Re:Same Same Thailand by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So you are fine with a human rights-breaching military government, but asking for your social media account IDs is the final straw. Interesting set of priorities there!

  25. Evil Bit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How about a checkbox:
    Evil []

  26. dhs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    DHS: We would not post anything on your facebook

    Fine script: by sharing your information, you agree to selling your account to 1000 affiliate fb spammers

  27. Voluntary (Optional) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just warming the world up until the they're ready to make it mandatory.

  28. How about "I'll just spend my money elsewhere" by blinkybill · · Score: 1

    Hmmm, travel to the USA anywhere else on the planet. Tough choice but I'll go with anywhere else on the planet. I've pretty much been up and down Asia, continental Europe, UK and the Middle East. The USA was on my todo list (just never got around to it, came close in 2010), looks like it's now off it.

    1. Re:How about "I'll just spend my money elsewhere" by stealth_finger · · Score: 1

      Hmmm, travel to the USA anywhere else on the planet. Tough choice but I'll go with anywhere else on the planet. I've pretty much been up and down Asia, continental Europe, UK and the Middle East. The USA was on my todo list (just never got around to it, came close in 2010), looks like it's now off it.

      My work's on about sending me to India for two weeks for some shit. It sounds like a real bad time, but still better than having to go to the US. I'm sure once you get in it's fine but the whole process just makes me want to run the fuck away.

      --
      Wanna buy a shirt?
      https://www.redbubble.com/people/stealthfinger/shop?asc=u
    2. Re: How about "I'll just spend my money elsewhere" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you say that now but the food is wayyyyy better in usa. probably cheaper too.

      even mcd, burger king etc are wayy better in usa. you would think they are the same but really not. why ? the staff has no idea what its supposed to taste like so asian mcds keep the patties in hotboxes for hours and shit like that. if you have really bad luck they just mw the shit out of it.

    3. Re:How about "I'll just spend my money elsewhere" by Noble713 · · Score: 1

      Pffft. I'm American and I don't go to America. When my family members ask me (over Google Voice calls) "When are you coming home to visit?" my answer is usually "Ummmm, hopefully never?"

    4. Re: How about "I'll just spend my money elsewhere" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nope. India is terrible.

      Longtime expat - Europe and asia. The us does have some amazing things to offer as much as I disagree with many policies (such as this).

      I do not envy what we do at our borders to foreigners however.

    5. Re: How about "I'll just spend my money elsewhere" by CohibaVancouver · · Score: 1

      In Paris, you can buy beer at MacDonald's. Also, you know what they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Paris?

    6. Re: How about "I'll just spend my money elsewhere" by cayenne8 · · Score: 1

      In Paris, you can buy beer at MacDonald's. Also, you know what they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Paris?

      A Royal with Cheese?

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  29. WTF is the NSA getting paid for! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is this another case of we've got to get the suspect to agree so we can use the illegally gotten evidence?

  30. Why would you not give your name? by EzInKy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If you care little enough about privacy to be on "social media" why would you care?

    --
    Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.
    1. Re:Why would you not give your name? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you care little enough about privacy to be on "social media" why would you care?

      +1. Exactly!

  31. Please make up your mind by Opportunist · · Score: 1

    Do you want to know mine or the ones I use? When you're in IT security, you get so many credentials to use...

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:Please make up your mind by MitchDev · · Score: 1

      I see Facebook and other social media accounts tripling as folks create dummy accounts....

  32. I don't have any would be my answer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And good luck to them proving otherwise.

  33. And what's next? by treczoks · · Score: 5, Insightful

    And in the next iteration, account names will be mandatory, together with the passwords for them (verified on the spot by your friendly customs people) and the PINs for your banking cards?

    The PSA (Paranoid States of America) still shit their pants because of one terrorist incident a decade ago, while local yokels with guns (including the police) kill ten times that much people per year.

    1. Re:And what's next? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And *nice people* driving like it's the end of the world kill even more than that, and people kill themselves with corn syrup and cigarettes and booze. Yeah, *nice people* is a codeword for idio*.

    2. Re:And what's next? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The'yre already there. Anyone that does a US tax return (even for just a holiday home income), has to state all of their overseas bank details, and balances.

    3. Re:And what's next? by Ihlosi · · Score: 1
      The'yre already there. Anyone that does a US tax return (even for just a holiday home income), has to state all of their overseas bank details, and balances.

      In fact, you may have to state all of your oversears bank details even if you don't have to file US taxes. (see: FBAR)

    4. Re:And what's next? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They already know your banking information. A snarky work colleague got taken to the special room where they went through every text on her phone and questioned her about "suspicious" bank transactions. Privacy erosion is much worse than you think.

  34. Smart ass paradise : I can see it now ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    facebook login : 'nono yubiznass', password : 'soduff'
    google+ login : 'sakmahi dik', password : 'faggot'

    smartasses are going to love that!

  35. No US travel then for me by johanw · · Score: 2

    I like Wikileaks on Facebook, they'll never let me in.

  36. They already analyze your social media stuff. by Ihlosi · · Score: 2

    Looks like they just want to make it official.

    1. Re:They already analyze your social media stuff. by sshir · · Score: 1

      The difference is - you can't win invasion of privacy lawsuit when NSA does this because (apparently) you have no standing. But when the government does it in the open - it will have to defend its actions in court.

  37. Just put "Cowboy Neal" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Problem solved.

  38. Then do something by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is a request from a bureaucrat for permission. There's 60 days for the public to weigh in. If you don't like it, instead of bitching on /., call your congressman/submit an opinion through the proper channels.

    --
    Your ad here. Ask me how!
    1. Re:Then do something by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is a request from a bureaucrat for permission. There's 60 days for the public to weigh in. If you don't like it, instead of bitching on /., call your congressman/submit an opinion through the proper channels.

      American Express.

    2. Re:Then do something by jrumney · · Score: 1

      So get out your piece of paper and start writing to the Paperwork Reduction Officer about this doubleplus non-good proposal.

  39. Library card too? by Jamlad · · Score: 1

    Perhaps the Staasi^H^H^H^HDHS would also like a copy of my library card? You know, just in case. I might be accessing forbidden knowledge, and remember citizens, unregulated knowledge is pornography.

    Satire and hyperbole aside, they already have your CC details from the ESTA so they probably already have access your your Amazon purchasing history. Which in this day an age is almost the equivalent.

    1. Re:Library card too? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Gee, if they get information from my local library, I'm sunk! I've read Tom Clancy's Without Remorse!

    2. Re:Library card too? by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Return the suspicious books before you're asked. Most libraries nowadays keep no records on what books someone has checked out in the past, for just this reason. (It was a reaction to the Patriot Act.)

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  40. Wrong odds for your argument. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Orders of magnitude difference.

    Lifetime odds:

    1. Attacked by shark in Australia: ~300,000,000:1*

    2. Shot at in US: ~7,944:1

    *For the USA the most commonly quoted odds are: 11,500,000:1. So Oz is still safer for shark attacks.

    Couldn't find data on death by Chinese road accident (in English or Spanish)

    1. Re:Wrong odds for your argument. by BostonPilot · · Score: 1

      2. Shot at in US: ~7,944:1

      I'm just curious whether the odds of being shot in the USA were corrected for suicides? Otherwise you're partially determining how likely you are to shoot yourself while visiting in the USA... Probably an interesting thing to know (and standing in the TSA lines might indeed make you suicidal) but probably not quite the risk/worry that set off this whole thread ;-)

    2. Re:Wrong odds for your argument. by bugs2squash · · Score: 1

      Is suicide by shark attack corrected for ?

      --
      Nullius in verba
  41. soooo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    sooo what happens if you dont have any social media accounts because you dont have any friends? do they provide you with some friends? can you choose from a list or something? im interested in friends with boats, large boats, with hookers on top of them
     

    1. Re:soooo by jmd · · Score: 1

      No friends? Then you will be questioned for being anti-social personality.

  42. Translation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... provide DHS greater clarity and visibility to possible nefarious activity ...

    After spending money on plane tickets, expensive VISA and a really expensive travel interview, they now want your help to search your digital footprint. Since it's all corporate 'owned' information, why can't the DHS just download it from the NSA? Is that data sharing law working in their fight against tourists, sorry, terrorists?

    Last summer, for the first time, the USA was aggressively advertised as the 'go-to' destination. Tourism was stagnant for 2015 but the US expects normality in subsequent years. The USA thinks holiday-makers have to do what they say.

  43. Isn't email address sufficient? by econnor · · Score: 1

    They already ask for your email. And have acess to major social media providers' logs and databases. And have the technology to join the dots. Why would they ask?

    (And any fule kno that all major subversive business is done in dark corners of Club Penguin.)

    1. Re:Isn't email address sufficient? by MitchDev · · Score: 1

      If they already know, then they know if you are lying and use that to treat you like shit even though you haven't actually done anything.

      The terrorists won and have turned democracy and freedom into a disgusting fascist police state...

    2. Re:Isn't email address sufficient? by ledow · · Score: 1

      1) How many email addresses would you like at my domain? I sign up for every service with a unique email and use fake junk names to sign up for junk that forces me, then consign those aliases to the blacklist.

      2) They ASK? How d

    3. Re:Isn't email address sufficient? by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 1

      I keep hearing 'the terrorists have won' but lets examine that for a bit.

      who actually won, here? the terrorists? (such a large group; ie, anyone who hates the US? at times, that seems to be the definition that many idiots use). what have they won? satisfaction? power? money? control?

      they have not won very much. its not them that wins from all this.

      its own own people. more specifically, our own psychopaths and sociopaths (ie, politicians, authoritarians, control freaks) that have 'won'. they have personal pleasure from spying on us and holding power over us. sometimes there is money involved, too, but it seems its more about ego and power than anything else. and for some, its a matter of not knowing what else to do, to show you are 'doing something' and so you clutch onto meaningless things like this.

      the terrorists are not ruining our society. we are doing it entirely on our own, and its happening world-wide.

      in engineering, the term is 'thermal runaway' and that's what we are seeing. an out of control ruling class that won't give up their witch hunts and likes this new 'game' that they spend so much time playing. nothing is ever enough; they'll want more and more info, more and more access, more and more restrictions on us.

      but its not the foreign terrorists that have won. its our own selfish ruling or mid-ruling class that has found a new game to play and it seems the sick-o's are truly enjoying it, like the stanford prisoner experiments. its legalized harassment with the thinnest excuse imaginable.

      I hope the next generation that comes into power realizes this and tries to reverse it. I have a lot of doubts, though, as people are people, now or 10,000 years ago. our nature has some dark sides to it and the 'enjoyment' we as a species get from torturing and manipulating our own kind is what will finally put an end to our whole species.

      --

      --
      "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
    4. Re:Isn't email address sufficient? by MitchDev · · Score: 1

      They wanted to destroy America, they did so, just because "we" did most of the damage ourselves is meaningless. They accomplished their goals, America just simply helped them do it.

    5. Re:Isn't email address sufficient? by Sir_Eptishous · · Score: 1

      What does Winston Smith do in 1984?
      Doesn't he has to stand in a certain part of his apartment so the omnivision can't see him?

      Were almost there.

      --
      We play the game with the bravery of being out of range
  44. They're unlikely to see mine because... by Serif · · Score: 1

    ... it points out that I've stopped visiting the US because I'm sick of being treated like a criminal by their border control staff.

    There are so many nicer, cheaper places where I'm greeted with a welcome and a smile and if they want to lose tourist dollars to the competition then that's up to them.

    1. Re:They're unlikely to see mine because... by Lumpy · · Score: 2

      Want some fun? They can treat all the citizens inside like shit for 100 miles within the border.

      Sadly my fellow americans are so stupid to tolerate the fake security theater over their freedom, that they actually seem to LIKE it.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    2. Re:They're unlikely to see mine because... by necronom426 · · Score: 1

      I went to the US on holiday in 1997 and one of the memories from that trip was how I was treated at customs. Nothing major, but I felt like I was a criminal, with all the questioning. Since then they have added fingerprints and eye scans. I've never been back.

      My own government doesn't have my fingerprints or eye scans, so there is no way in hell, I'm giving stuff like that to a foreign country.

      If they want to keep tourists out, then they are doing a good job.

    3. Re:They're unlikely to see mine because... by AutodidactLabrat · · Score: 1

      That's 100 miles from any navigable waterway, not just the ocean nor the border.
      All told, 56% of Americans are "Customs slaves"

    4. Re:They're unlikely to see mine because... by ruir · · Score: 1

      I went to a computer security fair in 2000, and the friendly FBI guys wanted to have a chat with me just because of being in jeans and of employable age. Interestingly they started being quite nice after seeing the only contents of my suitcase, a pair of suits, a pair of shirts, underwear and a travel stream iron...

    5. Re:They're unlikely to see mine because... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey, they can treat you like shit a lot further inside the border than that. America is the only (first world) country I know of where guns are commonly drawn at traffic stops.

      And citizenship has nothing to do with it. "Equal protection of the laws", remember? If they can do it to a Pakistani or Chinese citizen, they can do it to you.

  45. My account name? by wiredog · · Score: 1

    It's "Commander Taco".

  46. Now who is laughing? by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Google created google+ accounts for every gmail user. People laughed at its pathetic attempt to ape facebook. Now who's laughing? Google was actually doing all gmail users a favor. There will be an useless google+ account that no one bothers to look at, but will qualify as the social media account for the purpose of filling out some damned form to TSA!

    --
    sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
    1. Re:Now who is laughing? by Sir_Eptishous · · Score: 1

      This is actually true.

      --
      We play the game with the bravery of being out of range
  47. No problem officer.... by Lumpy · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm known as "EatShitTSA" on most social networks....

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  48. It doesn't end by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It is the natural course of every government to expand indefinitely in terms of both revenue and power over the people. That's because coercive authority is a business, and like any business, total domination is the end goal.

  49. in addition to? by AndyKron · · Score: 1

    Will this be in addition to the gang anal probing?

  50. I am sure they already have it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I am sure they already have the complete, private social media files on everyone, and are just looking for a way to legalize their unconstitutional possession of it.

    We all know Mark Fuckerberg is a commie pinko globalist and happily turns over everyone's private profile data to the world government...

  51. US Customs and Border Protection by TFlan91 · · Score: 1

    Modern Day Shakedown.

    Even as a US Citizen it is fucking absurd. I had one flight into Boston that took longer to get through immigration that flight itself - AS A US CITIZEN!

    My wife never wants to come back. I don't blame her. It's a straight up humiliating process.

    1. Re:US Customs and Border Protection by jittles · · Score: 1

      Modern Day Shakedown.

      Even as a US Citizen it is fucking absurd. I had one flight into Boston that took longer to get through immigration that flight itself - AS A US CITIZEN!

      My wife never wants to come back. I don't blame her. It's a straight up humiliating process.

      I have immigration problems every time I return to the US. I get put into what I politely refer to as the "terrorist line" where everyone gets extra scrutiny. I've seen people be hauled out of that line at gun point.

    2. Re:US Customs and Border Protection by Ihlosi · · Score: 1
      I've seen people be hauled out of that line at gun point.

      "They are taking him nowhere, Mr. jittles."

    3. Re:US Customs and Border Protection by niftymitch · · Score: 1

      Modern Day Shakedown.

      Even as a US Citizen it is fucking absurd. I had one flight into Boston that took longer to get through immigration that flight itself - AS A US CITIZEN!

      My wife never wants to come back. I don't blame her. It's a straight up humiliating process.

      I think I have dozens of active online accounts.
      Some are vendor product forums.
      Some like /. are whimsy.
      Some are to read the news.
      Some for music.
      Some are.......

      The wrinkle in all of this is that an on-line ID takes 30 seconds to generate
      and no connection to a new connection would be used by a serious criminal,
      murderer or activist.

      Given the power of metadata this seems silly, foolish and ill conceived as presented.
      A contact ID sure but online presence is a blind and foolish reach and electronic
      contacts are the norm for interacting with airlines, hotels and more.

      I smell layers of beureaucracy hunting for more data for bigger and larger data farms.
      i.e. project and department feather bedding.

      --
      Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't. Mark Twain.
  52. Foreigners vs. Natives by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Foreigners coming into the US might be more willing to give up their social media, since they don't live here, but I'd be damn if a US native leaving the border gives it up. It is a complete waste of time and money.

  53. Note the cost by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There's about $300M cost to the public estimated in relation to the change.

  54. Re: How about "I'll just spend my money elsewhere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1) McDonald's keeps burgers in hotboxes for hours in America too.
    2) They don't eat beef in India, so their burgers probably taste like shit because they're water buffalo.

  55. You need to understand American Law by lamer01 · · Score: 2

    The questions are so that after you commit a crime they can charge you with additional crimes such as 'lying on a federal form'. They are not really interested in preventing crime, they are interested in being able to incarcerate you after you commit it. Brilliant, isn't it?

    1. Re:You need to understand American Law by rahvin112 · · Score: 1

      That's why you just leave the line blank and if they ask verbally you decline to answer the question. CBP can't deny entry for American citizens. They can ruin your day and take all your stuff but they can't actually block you from entering the US without arresting you.

  56. Not vs. ESTA users by Ihlosi · · Score: 1
    it will have to defend its actions in court.

    Not versus users of ESTA, who have very little to no legal standing in the first place.

  57. Quote for you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Put a small-minded man in a position of power, and you can guarantee he will find a way to use it."

    No matter how petty, no matter how unfair, he WILL find a way to use his pawn power to punish you -- and his fellow pawns will applaud him for it.

    Keep that in mind whenever you find yourself on a pawn's watch: he's just waiting for a reason to exercise his power, licking his chops at the mere thought. He WANTS you to challenge him.

  58. For real by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So we are supposed to write comments, and send them to: Written comments may be mailed to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Attn: Paperwork Reduction Act Officer, Regulations and Rulings, Office of Trade, 90 K Street NE., 10th Floor, Washington, DC 20229-1177. Does anyone else find that amusing?

    1. Re:For real by baubo · · Score: 1

      Yes! It sounds suspiciously like the person in charge of depositing "paperwork" in the round file.

  59. Worse than useless by coinreturn · · Score: 1

    Newsflash, TSA! There are multiple people with the same name on FB (and other social media). How does one indicate which of hundreds of John Smith's one is?

    1. Re:Worse than useless by Ihlosi · · Score: 1
      Newsflash, TSA! There are multiple people with the same name on FB (and other social media). How does one indicate which of hundreds of John Smith's one is?

      You can't. And the TSA will use the absolutely worst of those profiles and deny you entry. You may then prove that it isn't yours. Have a nice day.

  60. How about No! by TheCarp · · Score: 1

    Its optional.... I wouldn't give it to them and I hope nobody else would either.

    This Fatherland Security expansionism needs a swift kick in the nuts. Its time to start rolling it back severely and sending these security theater jokers to the unemployment line where they belong.

    --
    "I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
  61. icq numbers by steak · · Score: 1

    what happens when you give them an icq number and they think it's a phone number?

  62. Idle accounts by slazzy · · Score: 1

    These days it's probably a good idea to have a facebook account. Even if you just add a few people, and like a few cat pictures a year and log off again.

    --
    Website Just Down For Me? Find out
    1. Re:Idle accounts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      These days it's probably a good idea to have a facebook account. Even if you just add a few people, and like a few cat pictures a year and log off again.

      I hear you, but seriously, when do we get to the point of 'enough'? The reason things are this bad now is because the vast majority have just rolled over and taken it for a very long time. When you 'just give in' to the latest unreasonable demand, is it in the belief that subsequent demands won't be even more invasive and intrusive? Do you really think we're NOT headed to a situation where we'll be forced to rat out friends and neighbours just to survive, the way people in Communist China were decades ago? If you think it's a big leap from "give us your Facebook account info" to "give us some dirt on people you know", then you're a fool.

  63. ATTEMPT TO LEGITIMIZE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The US government already has access to their computers via Microsoft built-in backdoors.

    How did you get that data mrs. spy? Oh.. huh huhuhuuhhh Customs is permitted to attain that data and our agency cooperates with theirs.

    Whereas right now it is just "don't tell how you got it".

  64. Can't tell them mine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If they start to check the comments I have posted they would arrest me for treason

  65. Just tell them... by bmk67 · · Score: 1

    "Go ask the NSA".

    Or, alternatively, search my name in Facebook.

    Otherwise, fuck off. Arrest me if you must, but - with few exceptions and this is not one of them - you must must admit U.S. citizens.

  66. I just looked at the most recent ESTA questionaire by Ihlosi · · Score: 1
    I just looked at the most recent ESTA questionaire, and had several WTH moments as they've added a whole bunch of questions since I last went through it. Examples:

    1. National ID numer other than passport (er ... wth?). Mandatory.

    2. Parents' names (wtbh??). Mandatory.

    3. Current employer (wtgdbh!?). Mandatory.

    4. Additional citizienships/nationalities.

    5. Past national ID documents of any other country.

    So ... what's the big deal with asking for social media stuff? That's just a drop in the ocean compared to the questions above.

  67. escaping the box by epine · · Score: 1

    My favourite thing to enter into required fields of obnoxious web forms is "unrequired". Language. It's a beautiful tool for escaping the box.

    Now I just need to sign up to a social media account on unrequired.com and I'll be all set.

    Unfortunately, it's presently a blank page hosted at godaddy.

  68. F them by pebear · · Score: 1

    I would tell them to go Fuck themselves and that I'm an American and I'm coming home they they can go fly. If they want that information they need to get a search warrant. I plead the 5th. I can sort of understand why these guys want to search your electronic equipment for possibly child porn or other illegal activities you might have done while out of the country. But access to my social media accounts? I'm sorry you have my answer, I plead the 5th and you can go fuck yourselves.....

    --
    Paul E. Bahre
  69. Help me out here... by anti-disney · · Score: 1

    Does the DHS think terrorists are dumb or is this not a plan to monitor terrorist as they claim. Terrorists know that every phone call and social media account they have are subject to snooping by the US government and probably avoid raising eyebrows by not having social networking accounts and avoiding calling other terrorists or sending emails to them. If they have a social networking account chances are the government will be monitoring this account even if they don't indicate that they have such an account.

    1. Re:Help me out here... by ebvwfbw · · Score: 1

      They might make a mistake. Instead of telling them their facebook accountis "snow white", they put "evil killer guy". Then the guy is all surprised as he's gang tackled and dragged kicking and screaming into the back. "I meant snow whiiiiiiiite!" Slam!

  70. Better take the fifth by anti-disney · · Score: 1

    If you make a claim that you don't have any social network but it turns out your Facebook account you supposedly deleted years ago suddenly reappears can you get into trouble for perjury even though you had no idea that your Facebook account from years ago was reactivated? I deleted mine years ago and sometimes it returns with all the privacy settings changed to the default settings. I have to change the privacy settings to what they were before and delete my account again but it will return again sometime.