S.T.O.P. Condemns CBP Plan To Scan Foreign Tourists’ Social Media Histories

S.T.O.P. condemns U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s plan to review foreign tourists’ social media activity going back five years.

View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Condemns CBP Plan To Scan Foreign Tourists’ Social Media Histories (New York, NY 12/11/2025) – Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy and civil rights group, condemns U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s plan to review foreign tourists’ social media activity going back five years. This week, CBP announced the plan would affect visitors to the U.S. who are eligible for an online visa waiver program, which allows tourists from the U.K., France, and dozens of other countries to enter the U.S. without a visa for 90 days. The civil rights group condemned the proposed policy as an attack on online speech and invasion of travelers’ privacy. SEE: The New York Times - U.S. Plans to Scrutinize Foreign Tourists’ Social Media History https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/travel/social-media-tourists-visa-border-patrol.html “Both within the U.S. and at our borders, CBP keeps expanding social media surveillance to target anyone who speaks out against the Trump administration,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Communications Director Will Owen. “Trump just wants to deny entry to visitors who have criticized his abhorrent policies or posted an unflattering photo of him. This has nothing to do with keeping Americans safe and everything to do with silencing dissent.” CBP’s announcement comes after ICE recently announced a plan to launch a 24/7 social media surveillance team leveraging artificial intelligence. Earlier this year, S.T.O.P. condemned the launch of a State Department program using unspecified forms of AI to target student visa holders for their social media views. SEE: El Pais - ICE’s migrant hunt expands to social media https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-10-14/ices-migrant-hunt-expands-to-social-media.html Press Release - S.T.O.P. Condemns Columbia ICE Arrest, State Dept. Visa Revocation as ‘AI-Powered McCarthyism’ https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2025/3/10/stop-condemns-columbia-ice-arrest-state-dept-visa-revocation-as-ai-powered-mccarthyism The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color.   -- END -- Copyright © 2025 Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.