Want A US Visa? Now Please Provide Your Facebook, Twitter Details

The US government has proposed adding a line to forms filled out by visitors to the United States that would ask them to disclose their social media accounts. The voluntarily step, they say is aimed at screening for ties to terrorism.

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According to the new proposals, each traveler filling out an I-94 travel form or applying for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) visa will be asked for "information associated with your online presence/social media identifier."?

It is currently under consultation, with US government taking comments until 22 August.

The move is expected to invite criticism from individuals and groups over privacy concerns, as it could end up becoming one of the largest government-controlled databases of its kind almost overnight.

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The US Department of Homeland Security said that while it does not consistently examine social media accounts of applicants for visas or immigration, it has a list of nearly three dozen situations in which social media can be examined to screen applicants.