A request for the Mods/PAL for wholescale account/post deletion [Serious]

[PNGMK]

There have been reports coming out of the USA that USICS are requesting travellers to reveal their social media accounts and content. I don't know the exact circumstances but I assume it is in a secondary examination context related to the POTUS recent immigration order.

As some of us here have posted both anti Mr Trump and/or anti USA sentiments on the board I humbly request if the mods would allow us to go against board policy and whole scale delete posts (to save the effort of deleting political posts one by one)?

This is a serious issue for some of us. I for example have no 1A protection if pulled aside by the USICS as I am not a US citizen and nor for that matter do I have 'freedom of speech' protections in Singapore as a non SC citizen. Unfortunately for family reasons I am scheduled to travel to the USA this year.

I know I am not the only one in this situation. I spent over 12 hours yesterday running a script through one of my other social media accounts to delete political posts.

[bgd]

Isn't it supposed to be the land of the free?

For you to be worried about this just shows how quickly things have changed.

[rajagainstthemachine]

i think you are being a bit too paranoid PNG.. unless you happen to be from one of the banned countries list i don't forsee a problem. so what if i said i don't have a social media account?
would then forcibly hack into my pc and phone to verify stuff before they let me through?

on a side note: i have a classmate who's last name is Shah.. and he isn't muslim.. hes been asked to work in Iran and Iraq before heading to the USA.. lets see how this one is going to pan out.

[x9200]

There have been reports coming out of the USA that USICS are requesting travellers to reveal their social media accounts and content. I don't know the exact circumstances but I assume it is in a secondary examination context related to the POTUS recent immigration order.

As some of us here have posted both anti Mr Trump and/or anti USA sentiments on the board I humbly request if the mods would allow us to go against board policy and whole scale delete posts (to save the effort of deleting political posts one by one)?

This is a serious issue for some of us. I for example have no 1A protection if pulled aside by the USICS as I am not a US citizen and nor for that matter do I have 'freedom of speech' protections in Singapore as a non SC citizen. Unfortunately for family reasons I am scheduled to travel to the USA this year.

I know I am not the only one in this situation. I spent over 12 hours yesterday running a script through one of my other social media accounts to delete political posts.

PNGMK, just realize everything is cached and backed up somewhere there anyway. This is regarding places like this fomum but also FB in your earlier post. These, specifically if you are concerned about the governments, so it simply makes no sense at all to panic now and start erasing.

Besides, if you are getting THAT paranoid, I would tell you this: if I were into this sort of invigilation, I would implement mechanisms to get alerted when some massive user data obliteration happens. In other words, what you currently do may attract some extra attention.

[DrScrumMaster]

Lying on the immigration form is not advised.

So too is writing "Which one?" when replying to the "being a member of the Communist Party question"...

[PNGMK]

X9200. I agree that in a involuntary hand over full data can be collected, the situation I'm referring to is ICS asking visitors to 'show us your social media' which implies handing over a smart phone logged into your account. Deleting posts and links is a step to at least passing that test.

[x9200]

X9200. I agree that in a involuntary hand over full data can be collected, the situation I'm referring to is ICS asking visitors to 'show us your social media' which implies handing over a smart phone logged into your account. Deleting posts and links is a step to at least passing that test.

Will they do anything thorough this way? I mean, in all practical sense, there is rather large group of people who don't have any social media accounts and I don't see anybody verifying it on spot using somebody's phone. Unless they really want to check you, anything they could do would need to be quick.

How about creating some kind of mock accounts? Don't invite anybody, just subscribe to some neutral groups, like few pages and never login again. After a few month should be as legit as your regular one. You tried it some time ago and never really liked it.
Or even better, take a different phone on your trip.

[x9200]

BTW, for those who dare to try, this is the software also used by Trump during his presidential campaign.

https://applymagicsauce.com/

Regardless this specific POTUS or any other relevant body, I think the whole trick is to limit and well control your footprint. I've been using FB daily for many years already, but this software fails to determine my profile. It is very critical to control the information one gives away.

[taxico]

why not bring a "clean" phone into the US?

you can resume your anti-trump posts when you have left and arrived home.

[ScoobyDoes]

The number of people turning up in the US on a daily basis far outnumbers the guys at border patrol.

Target #1 is those from countries under suspicion and illegal immigrants.

If Trump was worried about Anti-Trump or Anti-US sentiment don't you think he needs to start going after the many thousands IN the US protesting on the streets on an hourly basis, or the millions worldwide? Honestly, "mountain-out-of-a-molehill" doesn't even come close to a few posts on a SG forum.

It's not like your bl@@dy Amos Lee. The guys have far more important things and people to go after.

x9200 is right in any case, nothing is deleted anywhere. Add to that a bulk of traffic ends up going through the US or equipment they can monitor. You're trying to catch the horse about 10yrs after leaving the barn door open.

[Hidy Ho]

There have been reports coming out of the USA that USICS are requesting travellers to reveal their social media accounts and content. I don't know the exact circumstances but I assume it is in a secondary examination context related to the POTUS recent immigration order.

Where are these reports? I can only find one from Politico website back in Dec 22 and a couple of follow up posts on other websites based on Politico website reports. I wonder if this is a "fake-news".

Even on Politico's post, it stated that the information is "optional" applicable to visa waiver program.

[Hidy Ho]

OK ... I'm now a believer. Have been multiple news/reports of US CITIZENS who were "strong-armed" by CBP to unlock their phones for review and apparently this is legal

Also, talk of new policy to require non-citizens to provide their social media login information.

WTF is this world coming to

[Strong Eagle]

OK ... I'm now a believer. Have been multiple news/reports of US CITIZENS who were "strong-armed" by CBP to unlock their phones for review and apparently this is legal

Also, talk of new policy to require non-citizens to provide their social media login information.

WTF is this world coming to

Unfortunately, that seems to be today's reality. Your fourth amendment rights seem to be non-existent when entering the USA. This has been upheld by the Supreme Court (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_search_exception). Your rights are what the government says they are, apparently.

It's worth noting that the alleged "right" to search your laptop derives from the right of the customs control to search a container for contraband... courts have ruled that your laptop or phone is an information container.

Same for civil asset forfeiture... police don't even have to charge you with a crime, let alone obtain a conviction... they just take your stuff, then you need to prove it was legally gained. At least there is progress in overturning this horrid law.

[ScoobyDoes]

OK ... I'm now a believer. Have been multiple news/reports of US CITIZENS who were "strong-armed" by CBP to unlock their phones for review and apparently this is legal

Also, talk of new policy to require non-citizens to provide their social media login information.

WTF is this world coming to

They'll be a bit screwed when they get to me.....

IMM: Log in to FB! Show me.
Me: Nope, don't have.
IMM: Hmmm, then Twitter.
Me: Nope, don't have.
IMM: Okay, Instagram.
Me: Nope, don't have.
IMM: Right, password for Google.
Me: Social Media what. G+ dead you know, and doesn't work anyway on my Windows Phone. You can check my WhatsApp contacts, Spotify record or HWZ forum. Want or not?

Not quite off the grid with a tinfoil hat.......but not a million miles away. I suspect any well positioned terrorist would be the same. NOT saying, though, that I'm a well positioned terrorist! Take note, anybody reading this from the Bureau.

[PNGMK]

Now reports from Australia that an Aussie computer scientist was required to pass an ad hoc verbal exam to prove his profession. The ICS man ask him his profession and then keyed it in and starting asking questions about Python!