Many U.S. liberal arts college today hardly appear liberal anymore. Increasingly, both administrations and students have become less tolerant of diametrically opposing views. This has resulted in guest speakers, students, and professors becoming targets of slander and violence.   It’s bad enough that colleges and communities throughout the United States mindlessly police themselves by enforcing unconstitutional decency laws, but now the Federal Government is stepping up its efforts to tame its citizens even further.

It is clear that President Trump holds very little regard for the First Amendment except for when it protects his own ignorant hate-filled rants.   In February, his administration had announced that U.S. customs officials may now act as defacto Though Police, and inspect the contents of anyone’s smartphone being carried into the United States.  This edict applies American citizens as well.

Now the U.S. Homeland Security (DHS) has decided to push the envelope even further.  DHS has recently announced that foreigners visiting or living in the United States will be subject to having their social media thoroughly inspected by this department.   This includes naturalized American citizens and well as permanent residents.   Exactly who the U.S. government targets next is anybody’s guess.

When Will These New Regulation Take Effect?

October 18, 2017

What Information is Provided in this New Announcement?

The DHS plans to collect social media data on any US immigrants if they deem necessary. This is according to an announcement by the DHS on September 18, 2017.  This is despite the fact that there is little, if any, evidence such intrusive measures help fight terrorism and increase national security.    The Privacy Act of 1974 has now been revised to allow “privacy invasion” wherever the U.S. government sees fit.

Details of DHS’s latest announcement can be found at  federalregister.gov.   Now, before we all blame President Donald Trump for the latest assault on our liberties,  let’s not forget how the Obama administration allowed for increased surveillance on its own citizens long before the Trump administration even came to power.  President Obama is also well known for his persistent attempts to stifle a free press as well as individual journalists themselves.

What Have Changed?

DHS’s latest announcement states that:

“An individual’s immigration history may be in the following materials and formats:

1. A paper A-File;
2. An electronic record in the Enterprise Document Management System or USCIS Electronic Immigration System; or
3. A combination of paper and electronic records and supporting documentation. “

Supplementary article number 11 elaborates on article number 3 in greater details:

“(11) update record source categories to include publicly available information obtained from the internet, public records, public institutions, interviewees, commercial data providers, and information obtained and disclosed pursuant to information sharing agreements.”

In other words, if there is anything you have posted that is deemed “inappropriate”  at any level by any U.S. government agency, it is quite possible that you may either be refused entry, deported, or even arrested. So “Watch Out!”  Because when the land of the free (a.k.a  the USA) has no respect for your privacy or right to dissent, you are not free at all.