The US government has begun asking select foreign travelers to disclose their social media activities as part of an expanded effort to spot potential terrorist threats. 

 

美政府加大排查潜在恐怖威胁力度，已要求部分外国游客公开他们的社交媒体活动信息。

 

The request functions as a prompt on the online Electronic System for Travel Authorization¹, or Esta, a visa waiver application that many visitors are required to submit before travelling to the US. 

 

The choices include platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, and additional space for applicants² to input³ their account names on those sites. 

 

The Customs and Border Protection, which began the program last week, has previously⁴ said it wouldn't prohibit entry to foreigners who didn't provide their social media account information. 

 

The government has faced a barrage⁵ of criticism since it first floated the idea last summer. 

 

Privacy rights activists⁶ say there are few guidelines about how the information, once obtained, is used or shared with other agencies. 

 

The Internet Association, which represents companies including Facebook, Google and Twitter, has argued that policy threatens free expression.

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