Senators Urge Trump Administration to Drop Social Media Proposal

Democratic senators Ed Markey and Ron Wyden have called on the Trump administration to abandon a proposal by U.S. Customs and Border Protection that would require millions of foreign visitors to disclose their social media handles from the past five years. The senators warn this policy could lead to intrusive digital surveillance.

In a pointed appeal, Democratic senators Ed Markey and Ron Wyden have urged the Trump administration to scrap a controversial proposal requiring foreign visitors to divulge their social media handles used over the past five years. They argue this policy would lead to excessive digital surveillance.

Introduced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the policy targets travelers from countries in the visa waiver program, effectively demanding personal social media information as part of their entry requirements.

The senators stressed the potential backlash, noting that Americans might be outraged if similar demands were imposed by countries such as Great Britain, France, or Australia on U.S. tourists. They emphasized that basic travel intentions like visiting family or conducting business should not subject individuals to invasive scrutiny.

(With inputs from agencies.)