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Comment by ryandrake | Hacker News Reader

> This is really no different than what other countries do, e.g. US border officials extensively questioning foreigners or asking for usernames and passwords for social media.

I’ve never encountered this when crossing a border and don’t even know how I would sensibly answer any of this. I don’t use social media and don’t travel with a smart phone. So what now? Would they make me buy one in the airport and sign up for Facebook there?

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When I applied for a us tourist visa I was explicitly signing away any rights to privacy. I forgot the exact formulation but it went along the lines of “I understand that by travelling into the US I have no expectation of privacy whatsoever”, click checkbox or you can’t continue to the next page, where I was asked to enter all my social media usernames.

It's definitely a thing. I believe ESTA now asks for all social media user names (not passwords, but I suppose the US government doesn't need those), and it is definitely a requirement for getting a US visa.

They ask but it’s not a requirement to fill it in.

Remember that entry into the USA for a foreigner is entirely at the mercy of the border control officers. If they deem you "suspicious", they can refuse you access, and you don't really have any appeal.

The made it mandatory in 2020: https://estatousa.com/esta-social-media-question/

My wife just filled an ESTA and it was still optional.

According to https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/faq?lang=en it's optional in the esta although they remind you that they can reject for any reason.

Well of course it is optional, endless people don't use social media for anything at all, and have never, and will never, have logins or handles.

Huge, massive amounts of people are like this. Huge. Twitter, Facebook, others have massively inflated usage numbers.

I suspect people with social media logins are the minority in the US, for example.

Doubt me? Do you think most people's 68 year old parents, or grandparents, all have logins?

Either way, how can you make it a requirement to provide, what is not a requirement to have?

> Either way, how can you make it a requirement to provide, what is not a requirement to have?

You simply make it a requirement to provide it if you have it. That is not the same as optional. If its optional then you aren't lying to immigration if you leave it blank. If it is not optional then you are.

Bearick, that guy fron LOTR

Wherick, the inverse of Waldo.

Nareick, always says nope.

Tearick, always rips up newspapers.

Hairick, ironic, guy's bald.

Lairick, dude is a shut in.

Stareick, stop looking at me!

Pairick, it's a chick.

Mareick, this chick is a centaur.

Fairick, redhead.

Depends what you mean by requirement. Visiting/moving to USA is not a requirement. Not perjuring yourself is not a requirement if you don't mind staying in prison and/or paying fines. If, however, you do want to travel to USA and want do it without worrying about spending extended "vacation" you do need to fill the form truthfully. That includes giving a list of handles you have used on those listed social media sites (at least on DS-160).

Yes it is still optional. I travelled on an ESTA a few months ago , left the social media handles section blank, and they made no comment at the border. That said it is still very capricious.

“What psycho doesn’t have a social media account? Search him/her!”

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