CREEPY

US Wants Foreigners Travelers' Social Media Info

An "optional" form wants travelers' usernames.

The U.S. government has started asking some foreign travelers to provide their social media information upon entering the country, Politico reports. Beginning Tuesday, some online applicants for U.S. visas were presented with an optional drop-down menu that asked for "information associated with your online presence," including Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Youtube accounts. The information will be used to “identify potential threats," a U.S. Customs spokesperson told Politico. The data-collection program was first suggested last summer, to outcry from internet and security activists, who say it complicates the already-confusing U.S. entry process, and could jeopardize travelers' privacy.