US Considers Requiring Foreign Tourists’ Past 5 Years of Social Media for Entry Screening

The United States is considering a new proposal that could require foreign tourists to provide their social media history from the past five years as part of the entry screening process. The idea behind this initiative is to enhance the vetting process and identify potential security threats more effectively.

This measure, if implemented, would apply to travelers from countries that are part of the Visa Waiver Program, which allows citizens of 38 countries to travel to the US for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. The proposal is currently in the discussion phase and has not been finalized yet.

The US Customs and Border Protection agency revealed that the collection of social media data could provide additional tools to improve the vetting process and strengthen homeland security. However, civil liberties groups have raised concerns about privacy implications and the potential for discriminatory profiling based on online activity.

It is important to note that this proposal is part of a broader effort by the US government to enhance security measures and prevent threats from entering the country. The debate around balancing national security interests with individual privacy rights is expected to intensify as the proposal moves forward.

The process of obtaining and reviewing five years of social media history for each visitor poses significant logistical and technological challenges. Critics argue that it could lead to delays in processing visa applications and create barriers for tourism and business travel to the US.

As the discussions continue, stakeholders on all sides are expected to present their arguments and concerns regarding the feasibility and implications of this potential requirement for foreign tourists entering the United States.

Sources Analysis:
US Customs and Border Protection – The agency has a vested interest in enhancing border security and preventing potential threats. It may have a bias towards supporting measures that strengthen vetting processes.
Civil liberties groups – These groups typically advocate for privacy rights and may be biased against measures that could infringe on individuals’ privacy.
Fact Check:
The proposal to require social media history from foreign tourists is a verified fact as reported by various news outlets.
The concerns raised by civil liberties groups regarding privacy implications are unconfirmed claims as they are based on potential future scenarios.

Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “US could ask foreign tourists for five-year social media history before entry”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.

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