Australians are set to be added to the list of citizens required to disclose five years' worth of social media history to visit the United States. The plans would also see applicants have to submit information like phone numbers, email address and personal details of family members.
00:00The real crux of these changes would be Aussie travellers heading to the US needing to provide
00:06five years of their social media history to be required entry.
00:12Now that's also on top of needing to provide more than a decade's worth of their email addresses
00:17and as you mentioned the personal details of family including children on that application.
00:22Now currently Australian citizens require Justin Esther to travel to the United States.
00:27We have a visa exemption system if you want to travel for less than 90 days you do just need to fill out that online Esther form.
00:34Now on that form currently it doesn't require a huge amount of detail.
00:37There is an option to add your social media details but it is certainly not mandatory.
00:42Now we heard earlier this morning from an immigration lawyer Melissa Vicente about why the United States government may be bringing these changes in.
00:51Well I think what's being targeted is according to the administration that we have to find those people who have anti-American thoughts
00:57that might do harm to the American people and so it's more of a digging expedition to find out who they are.
01:04So Molly you're at the airport there. Just how much are people talking about this? What's the reaction been?
01:11Well Kath it's obviously brand new news this morning.
01:14Some of these travellers here they're not necessarily heading to the United States but they certainly did have strong opinions about these changes.
01:20Some of them said you know they weren't too keen on heading to the US anyway but this would certainly stop them from making those travel plans.
01:27We had a good chat to a few people here at the Brisbane International Terminal and here's what they told us.
01:32They're just trying to control everything and I just don't think it's fair.
01:36I wouldn't go to the States. Yeah.
01:38I think it's intrusive and it's dangerous and I wouldn't go.
01:46If it was more difficult to go there for a short stay then yeah I wouldn't want to go I don't think.
01:54Now this is just another step in what has been a very long march of sweeping changes by Donald Trump since his return to the presidency.
02:03Now of course these changes are yet to be set in stone but certainly Kath food for thought for Australian travellers planning to head to the US any time soon.
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