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US Visitors May Have to Hand Over Social Media Passwords: DHS (nbcnews.com)

Posted by msmash on from the privacy-woes dept.

People who want to visit the United States could be asked to hand over their social-media passwords to officials as part of enhanced security checks, the country's top domestic security chief said. From a report on NBC: Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly told Congress on Tuesday the measure was one of several being considered to vet refugees and visa applicants from seven Muslim-majority countries. "We want to get on their social media, with passwords: What do you do, what do you say?" he told the House Homeland Security Committee. "If they don't want to cooperate then you don't come in."

7 of 652 comments (clear)

  1. Against TOS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    At least with FB it's against the TOS, and if you sign on from an unfamiliar IP, it would try other challenges to validate your identity.

    1. Re:Against TOS by Kagato · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Because it's against the TOS, it's against the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. CBP is asking people to commit a felony. The United States Court of Appeals held just last year that sharing password and allowing access contrary to the TOS is a violation. There are people in PRISON right now for commit this crime. I would not recommend doing it and Facebook should make a statement that what DHS is proposing is against the law.

      If DHS wants to do this they need to ask congress to add an exemption to the CFAA.

  2. WTF? by Calydor · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I can imagine Facebook, Twitter etc. blowing up over this.

    Besides, if they get password access how can they use ANYTHING they find as evidence of anything? They've got WRITE access, for crying out loud! The evidence chain isn't just poisoned, it's rotted right through.

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    1. Re:WTF? by The-Ixian · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I think it is fine as long as all other countries ask for traveling American's passwords.

      Just wait for that blow-up

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  3. The message this sends by rossdee · · Score: 5, Interesting

    USA doesn't want tourists visiting the country
    or business people doing trade deals

    1. Re:The message this sends by thegarbz · · Score: 5, Interesting

      To be fair that's been the message for a long time. There's few countries I dread visiting, and the USA is one of them. I remember my last business trip clearly.

      "Welcome to the United States of America" it said in the customs area of the airport. I got to stare at that shitty sign for 3 hours as a single customs man took his time individually fingerprinting and questioning the thousand visitors queued up.

      America is a lovely place and the people are lovely and friendly. But I still dread actually clearing customs in that area and I say that as a white ordinary privileged man.

  4. How is data "at the border"? by Comboman · · Score: 5, Interesting

    How exactly is data sitting on a server in silicon valley "at the border" just because the person who created that data is at the border? By that logic, you can search their car, house, workplace and bank account without a warrant as long as they are standing at the border when you do it.

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