The U.S. is pursuing another measure that makes it seem like it no longer cares about international tourism as a GDP contributor.
What happened: Under a new proposal from the White House, citizens from 42 countries that typically enjoy easy entrance to the U.S. — including the likes of the U.K., France, and Japan — could soon be required to disclose the past five years of their social media history.
The countries in question are part of the Visa Waiver Program, which allows visitors to stay in the U.S. for up to 90 days without a visa, so long as they pay US$40 to apply.
In addition to surrendering their old tweets and Pinterest moodboards, applicants will have to submit increased personal info and biometric data under the changes.
What about Canada? This rule change wouldn’t apply here, as Canada isn’t part of the program. Canadians passport holders are automatically exempt from visa requirements for short-term tourism in most cases. That said, Canadians continue to face stricter border crossing rules.
Effective December 26, any Canadian entering and exiting the U.S. will be subject to having their photo taken and be fingerprinted at border stops equipped to do so.
Why it matters: On the first day of his second term in office, Donald Trump signed an executive order calling on security agencies tovet and screen entrants to the U.S. “to the maximum degree possible.” With directives like that, visiting our next-door neighbour is only getting more difficult—QH