The U.S.
government under Trump is ramping up its efforts to
restrict entrance to the country — even for tourists
from ally countries. The U.S. Customs and Border
Protection agency (CBP) recently proposed a new rule that would
block non-citizens from entering the country unless they
first reveal their past 5 years of social media
activity.
Additionally, any tourist
hoping to travel to the U.S. would also need to
disclose all phone numbers they've used in the
past 5 years, and all email addresses used in the
past 10 years. The U.S. would also require
biometrics — DNA, irises, face, and fingerprint
data — as well as details about all family
members, including their names, places and dates of
birth, and current addresses.
This is
apparently to bring the CBP into compliance with
Trump's mandate that tourists "do not bear hostile
attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government,
institutions, or founding principles."
All of
this is happening as the U.S. economy and tourism
continue to decline. Some researchers say the U.S.
will have lost as much as $30 billion in tourism
revenue in 2025. Even more mind-bogglingly, this is
happening just before the U.S. is set to host the
FIFA World Cup with Mexico and Canada in 2026 and
and the Olympics in 2028.
This amount of
surveillance and scrutiny is also a violation of
tourists' personal privacy and sets a frightening tone
for future escalations.
Luckily, the CBP's plan
hasn't gone into effect yet. The agency has to
provide a 2-month public comment period first, which
means we still have a chance to make an impact. Now is the time to speak out!
Sign the petition today!
