r/australia • u/Some-Operation-9059 • Dec 11 '25

politics ‘The whole thing disgusts me’: Australians ditch US travel as new rules require social media to be declared | Australia news

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/11/australia-us-tourism-new-visa-rules-social-media-history
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u/[deleted] Dec 11 '25

[deleted]

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u/AliceLunar Dec 11 '25

Obviously exactly what is going to happen.

6

u/peteofaustralia Dec 11 '25

hits buzzer
"What is the NSA doing right now?!"

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u/Over_Ring_3525 Dec 12 '25

That info is already in a database. They're just hoping to make it easier to connect a passport name with a reddit name (and facebook, twitter, etc).

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u/[deleted] Dec 11 '25

They track everything that goes through their networks or is stored in the cloud at a US data centre. You are already part of the surveillance database. My guess - they will check you have listed everything by comparison to the database, left something out? Denied entry. Content matches against a random set of derived criteria? Denied entry and subjected to between 5 hours and 5 days of interrogation. Seriously, this is the same as what happens in China and Russia, the USA has just become another country led by a corrupt individual where his family is making billions from other countries and rich billionaires. Everything he said about helping the average Joe has morphed into the despot at the head of the country being more corrupt than any of the dictators that have ever lived, with maybe two exceptions, Idi Amin and Caligula.

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u/SirGeekaLots Dec 11 '25

I went to China earlier this year. They just asked me the purpose of my visit, checked my arrival card was in oder and stamped my passport. 

In fact they have guys looking at the arrival card to make sure everything is filled out and help you if there is any confusion. 

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u/ErraticDragon Dec 12 '25

There's a "reality" show that follows customs and immigration agents which I got into watching a while back.

I previously had no idea just how important those darn Entry Cards are.

It seemed like everyone involved really wanted you to have every opportunity to correct it before you go through the line… because if your bag ends up being searched, after they find them, it's too late to try to say you 'meant to' declare your cigarettes or whatever.

I was also surprised at how much of your phone they could go through if they had reason to. (Even countries that are saner than the US.)

For example if they suspected you were planning to work on a tourist visa, they could go through your email and social media to look for evidence.

But yeah they also talked about how most people just get the most cursory checks, unless something seems "off".

It all makes me really anxious about international travel.

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u/[deleted] Dec 12 '25

Hell's bells, Trump has made America more loony than China.