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

Australians stop traveling to the US and boycott next year’s World Cup matches in the US; The Trump administration is enacting new rules that will soon require visitors to submit their social media history when applying to enter the country.

In a notification It was published On Tuesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said tourists coming to the United States from 42 countries, including Australia, must disclose all social media activity from the past five years under new rules that are subject to a 60-day review before taking effect. This will be part of applying for visa exemption under the ESTA application process.

The rules were created in response to a question. Executive order prepared by Donald Trump On his inauguration day in January, he ordered that visas should not be granted to anyone with “hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles,” claiming to “protect” the United States from visitors.

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Australian tourists have described the US’s mandate to scan social media posts as well as collect extensive “high-value data” on family members, such as phone numbers, dates of birth and places of residence, as “appalling” and “draconian”.

But travel data suggests Australians were already avoiding the US before detailed rules were announced. They changed travel plans and even moved reunions with family members to other countries to avoid entering the United States.

In 2019, the last year of free travel before the Covid-19 pandemic closed borders around the world, more than 100,000 Australians were regularly coming to the US every month. U.S. Department of Commerce figures show that figure is now consistently below 50,000, and was below 50,000 for the first time last month.

The number of Australians arriving in the US in November fell 11% compared to the same month last year, to just 45,408.

Jonathan, who asked that his surname be kept secret, works in project delivery and is from Sydney. The 42-year-old football player had planned to return to the USA, his country of birth, for next year’s FIFA World Cup, but he changed his plan a few months ago. He said news of the overnight policy changes made him feel like he made the right decision.

“I have a lot of family and friends there, but I will actively avoid it from now on,” he said.

“Frankly, the whole thing disgusts me and is horrifying. Even though I thought I would be protected as a citizen, my son and my wife are not US citizens. My son was really excited about going and was really upset when I told him we weren’t going – but now I feel validated.”

He said that although his son is an Australian citizen, his wife’s Chinese citizenship has the potential to cause problems at the border.

Jonathan said he openly criticized Trump online.

“It’s not worth the risk. Why would you put your family in danger for a vacation? If so?” [US immigration authorities] “If I had researched my past, my situation would have been very clear.”

Another US-Australian dual citizen, who wished to remain anonymous, said the offers were “horrible” considering his family was in the US.

“I was already planning on not visiting until the next election, and now I definitely won’t. Everyone on U.S. soil is theoretically protected by the constitution. But if you’re applying for a visa abroad, those protections don’t apply,” he said.

“This development does not bode well for people in the United States either, and anyone celebrating the idea of ​​such draconian measures needs to consider what this portends.”

An Australian living in Sydney, who requested anonymity, said he would not visit the US for next year’s World Cup due to US policy changes. His family of seven changed their plans earlier this year and will instead limit their travel to Canada and Mexico.

“It feels like a continuation of what’s been going on since the beginning of this administration; they’re becoming more and more exclusive and less open,” he said.

His brother and his family live in the US, he said: “Unfortunately, for the time being, they’ve got to come to Mexico, because we ain’t going to the USA.”

Under the new rules, border authorities will request a range of information when visitors apply for visa exemption under the automated ESTA system, which will only be used during the application process rather than through the website.

Authorities will also request “high-value data”, including all phone numbers visitors have at one time, as well as email addresses from the last decade. Border agents will collect family members’ facial, fingerprint, DNA and iris biometrics, as well as their names, addresses, locations and dates of birth.

Shadow home secretary Jonno Duniam told Sky News on Thursday the plans went beyond what a “freedom-loving” western democracy could do.

But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the US was a “sovereign nation” with “the right to set the rules”.

A spokesman for the ministry of foreign affairs and trade said visa requirements were “a matter for the country issuing them”.

“Smartraveller advises Australians that entry requirements to the US are strict. Australians should check US entry, registration, transit and exit requirements and ensure you understand all relevant terms and conditions before attempting to enter the US,” they said.