US Customs plans to ask travellers for their social media accounts

Will request details of "online presence" on ESTA visa waivers and I94W entry forms

The US Customs and Border Protection agency (CPB) plans to request that people entering the country inform the authorities about their social media accounts.

The CPB, part of the US Department of Homeland Security, has asked the US Office of Management for permission to collect the information in the forms that travellers fill out as they enter the country. The US government will consult on the request until 22 August.

The CBP has proposed that a box labelled "Please enter information associated with your online presence - Provider/Platform - Social media identifier" be added to the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) visa waiver and Form I-94W that every visitor must fill out on entry.

Provision of information about travellers' online presence would be optional, at least at first, according to the Federal Register.

"It will be an optional data field to request social media identifiers to be used for vetting purposes, as well as applicant contact information," it notes, continuing: "Collecting social media data will enhance the existing investigative process and provide DHS greater clarity and visibility to possible nefarious activity and connections by providing an additional toolset which analysts and investigators may use to better analyse and investigate the case."

The scheme is intended to identify potential terrorists before they enter the country, but how the proposed form would prevent people from creating fake Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook accounts, omitting to provide details on real ones, or listing profiles belonging to people with the same name is uncertain.

While the scheme may be not be mandatory at first, should it be approved this detail may not be flagged up clearly on the forms. In addition any move to make providing the information obligatory some time in the future would be a smaller step.

The US received 77.5 million foreign visitors last year. Fingerprint and iris scans are already in place for all visitors.