4 ms·

This won't help feds a bit to fight terrorism. Since no terrorist will give his social media ids. Just like the questionnaires which ask you directly if you are

by ersiees 10y ago

This won't help feds a bit to fight terrorism. Since no terrorist will give his social media ids. Just like the questionnaires which ask you directly if you are a terrorist. This won't help fight terrorism. The only two things that it could possibly change are: people who don't give they're social media ids are treated as if they were guilty and the government knows even more about innocent people.

pattisapu 10y ago
Someone who purposely enters wrong information in the field could be prosecuted for that reason. That could be helpful to a prosecutor trying to get a known terrorist where there's not enough evidence beyond a reasonable doubt for the other crimes.
- janoc 10y ago
  Don't forget that ESTA is the enormous form that everyone traveling to the USA from countries not required to obtain visa has to complete and have approved before leaving. And it asks for wonderful stuff like: "Have you been a member of a terrorist organization?" with helpful footnote: "Answering yes to any of these questions (there are a few more such gems there) is not a ground for automatic entry refusal." (paraphrased from memory). These questions are pretty much the same that are/used to be on the visa application forms too. Submitting the form isn't free neither - you have to pay a processing fee. What is worse, you can be denied entry with no explanation even if you are not a terrorist and have done all the paperwork, no prosecution needed. Either because your ESTA form submission was rejected for some unknown reason (then good luck obtaining a visa - pretty much denied by default) or on arrival, even though you had everything approved. What a wonderful system that really makes everyone safe and secure :(
- wfo 10y ago
  If you create a new crime for the purpose of going after people who you can't prove committed a different crime, you are doing something (morally) wrong. This kind of thinking pushes us even farther along this dangerous path than we are today: where nearly everything is illegal, so we simply trust the all-powerful prosecutors and their discretion as the sole arbiters of what is punished and what is allowed, who is a criminal and who is innocent. And it may change in an instant at the whim of a few powerful men and women.
- chrismcb 10y ago
  If they can't prove this person is a terrorist, how can they prosecute then when the person claims they aren't a terrorist?
  - brokenmachine 10y ago
    Why are you asking questions?? I think you must have something to hide...

by ersiees 10y ago

pattisapu 10y ago

Someone who purposely enters wrong information in the field could be prosecuted for that reason. That could be helpful to a prosecutor trying to get a known terrorist where there's not enough evidence beyond a reasonable doubt for the other crimes.

janoc 10y ago
Don't forget that ESTA is the enormous form that everyone traveling to the USA from countries not required to obtain visa has to complete and have approved before leaving. And it asks for wonderful stuff like: "Have you been a member of a terrorist organization?" with helpful footnote: "Answering yes to any of these questions (there are a few more such gems there) is not a ground for automatic entry refusal." (paraphrased from memory). These questions are pretty much the same that are/used to be on the visa application forms too. Submitting the form isn't free neither - you have to pay a processing fee. What is worse, you can be denied entry with no explanation even if you are not a terrorist and have done all the paperwork, no prosecution needed. Either because your ESTA form submission was rejected for some unknown reason (then good luck obtaining a visa - pretty much denied by default) or on arrival, even though you had everything approved. What a wonderful system that really makes everyone safe and secure :(
wfo 10y ago
If you create a new crime for the purpose of going after people who you can't prove committed a different crime, you are doing something (morally) wrong. This kind of thinking pushes us even farther along this dangerous path than we are today: where nearly everything is illegal, so we simply trust the all-powerful prosecutors and their discretion as the sole arbiters of what is punished and what is allowed, who is a criminal and who is innocent. And it may change in an instant at the whim of a few powerful men and women.
chrismcb 10y ago
If they can't prove this person is a terrorist, how can they prosecute then when the person claims they aren't a terrorist?
- brokenmachine 10y ago
  Why are you asking questions?? I think you must have something to hide...