Travelers line up to go through US Customs and Border Protection in Newark Liberty International Airport (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/Getty)
I joined Dublin NewsTalk on Friday to analyze the Trump Administration’s new rules mandating digital investigation and surveillance of non-citizens entering the US.
I follow the overview of Adrian Weckler, travel writer for the Irish Independent. Listen from 8:02:
The revision of the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) requires applicants to submit five years of social media history, 10 years of e-mail and phone records, live selfie photos, and potential biometric data.
The changes to ESTA, covering more than 40 countries, complements the Administration’s indefinite suspension of visa processing for citizens of 75 others.
Surveys indicates the new ESTA rules could cost the US $15.7 billion with the loss of 150,000 jobs, as 1/3 of respondents indicate that they may no longer visit America.
Far be it from me to call it authoritarian, but it does smack of being authoritarian.
Were I not a US citizen, I think there’s a high likelihood that I could not get back into the US because I have been full and frank in my comments about the Trump Administration.
