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On the last ESTA form I saw, they were asking not for all, but specific accounts. Apart from fb and Twitter there was also github, but I don’t remember seeing m

by lixtra 7y ago

On the last ESTA form I saw, they were asking not for all, but specific accounts. Apart from fb and Twitter there was also github, but I don’t remember seeing mastedon for example. Did I miss something?

mapcars 7y ago
Github? Really?
rwmj 7y ago
The ESTA will be a bit different, but the exact question from the US visa application is: 7. Public-facing social media platforms and identifiers/handles used during the last five years. This includes any websites or applications the applicant has used to create or share content (photos, videos, status updates, etc.) as part of a public profile. I was advised by my lawyer that this covers Reddit and HN, and Facebook/Instagram (if I had any of those which I don't any more). The lawyer didn't mention github however, but someone can search my name and find that in 1 click anyway, that's hardly private information.
- landcoctos 7y ago
  > a public profile What if the profile isn't part of a person's profile? As in it has zero relation to their "real" life.
  - zaroth 7y ago
    I think public in this context means viewable to the general public, whether it’s anonymous or not.
- mc32 7y ago
  Haven’t read up on this, but looks like if they’re looking for graphs they would include linked in profiles too...
  - rwmj 7y ago
    Yeah I guess they have a watchlist of social media accounts and look for anyone who applies with one of those accounts or is N steps away (where hopefully N <= 1, because anything else leads to madness).
    - pmiller2 7y ago
      That’s my guess as well. They’re probably only looking at “bigger” sites: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, WeChat, and maybe YouTube. But, it’s the broadness of the definition that’s of concern. That forum you registered at a year ago to ask a random question, never to return? Covered. Dating sites? Yep. Stack Overflow, Quora, etc. definitely. Yelp? For sure. Then there are sites you can probably twist the definition to cover. Amazon might make this list, since you have the ability to post a public “wish list.” Things like Rover would count, because you have a “pet profile” and can post reviews of sitters, even though nobody says Rover is a social networking app. Then there’s the class of “sites an adversary with unlimited resources for lawyers” might press to include. You posted a comment on a random blog? We consider your comment history to be your “public profile,” etc. The potential for overreach is huge, even if we don’t get to absurd levels such as this.
  - pmiller2 7y ago
    Even if you don’t post anything on LinkedIn besides your work experience, arguably, that would count as “status updates.” This would seem to include any number of dating sites and other things people don’t typically think of as “social media,” as well.
    - rwmj 7y ago
      Yes, the lawyer mentioned LinkedIn as one. She didn't mention dating websites specifically that I recall, but I agree with you it sounds like they would be covered from the definition.
      - zaroth 7y ago
        Dating sites would not be covered.
- hannob 7y ago
  Honestly I would been unable to give an accurate answer, I would certainly forget something I used in the past 5 years.
  - rwmj 7y ago
    Well another question was much worse than that one: 1. Your complete travel history over the last 15 years, including source of funding for travel, in chronological order. I don't know anyone who would be able to answer that one accurately.
    - fao_ 7y ago
      > I don't know anyone who would be able to answer that one accurately. Of course, this is typical for dystopian governments. If everyone is technically guilty of a crime, and there is selective or variable enforcement, then you can justify the punishment that you want to mete out to specific people.
    - EForEndeavour 7y ago
      If I didn't know better, I'd think you were quoting a darkly humorous dystopian novel. Only the top few percent of obsessively organized people and the bottom few percent of infrequent travelers will ever be able to answer that question truthfully. What a farce.
- aasasd 7y ago
  I don't see how I can exclude anything but banking, hosting and PIM from this (and some PIM apps and hosting platforms have their own discussion or support forums). So the only compliant answer to that would be an export from the password database with almost all of the 800 accounts in the ‘web’ category. And I ain't gonna research when I last used each of those accounts.
saagarjha 7y ago
I can see them adding in boutique social networks as people move to them.

by lixtra 7y ago

mapcars 7y ago

Github? Really?

rwmj 7y ago

The ESTA will be a bit different, but the exact question from the US visa application is: 7. Public-facing social media platforms and identifiers/handles used during the last five years. This includes any websites or applications the applicant has used to create or share content (photos, videos, status updates, etc.) as part of a public profile. I was advised by my lawyer that this covers Reddit and HN, and Facebook/Instagram (if I had any of those which I don't any more). The lawyer didn't mention github however, but someone can search my name and find that in 1 click anyway, that's hardly private information.

landcoctos 7y ago
> a public profile What if the profile isn't part of a person's profile? As in it has zero relation to their "real" life.
- zaroth 7y ago
  I think public in this context means viewable to the general public, whether it’s anonymous or not.
mc32 7y ago
Haven’t read up on this, but looks like if they’re looking for graphs they would include linked in profiles too...
- rwmj 7y ago
  Yeah I guess they have a watchlist of social media accounts and look for anyone who applies with one of those accounts or is N steps away (where hopefully N <= 1, because anything else leads to madness).
  - pmiller2 7y ago
    That’s my guess as well. They’re probably only looking at “bigger” sites: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, WeChat, and maybe YouTube. But, it’s the broadness of the definition that’s of concern. That forum you registered at a year ago to ask a random question, never to return? Covered. Dating sites? Yep. Stack Overflow, Quora, etc. definitely. Yelp? For sure. Then there are sites you can probably twist the definition to cover. Amazon might make this list, since you have the ability to post a public “wish list.” Things like Rover would count, because you have a “pet profile” and can post reviews of sitters, even though nobody says Rover is a social networking app. Then there’s the class of “sites an adversary with unlimited resources for lawyers” might press to include. You posted a comment on a random blog? We consider your comment history to be your “public profile,” etc. The potential for overreach is huge, even if we don’t get to absurd levels such as this.
- pmiller2 7y ago
  Even if you don’t post anything on LinkedIn besides your work experience, arguably, that would count as “status updates.” This would seem to include any number of dating sites and other things people don’t typically think of as “social media,” as well.
  - rwmj 7y ago
    Yes, the lawyer mentioned LinkedIn as one. She didn't mention dating websites specifically that I recall, but I agree with you it sounds like they would be covered from the definition.
    - zaroth 7y ago
      Dating sites would not be covered.
hannob 7y ago
Honestly I would been unable to give an accurate answer, I would certainly forget something I used in the past 5 years.
- rwmj 7y ago
  Well another question was much worse than that one: 1. Your complete travel history over the last 15 years, including source of funding for travel, in chronological order. I don't know anyone who would be able to answer that one accurately.
  - fao_ 7y ago
    > I don't know anyone who would be able to answer that one accurately. Of course, this is typical for dystopian governments. If everyone is technically guilty of a crime, and there is selective or variable enforcement, then you can justify the punishment that you want to mete out to specific people.
  - EForEndeavour 7y ago
    If I didn't know better, I'd think you were quoting a darkly humorous dystopian novel. Only the top few percent of obsessively organized people and the bottom few percent of infrequent travelers will ever be able to answer that question truthfully. What a farce.
aasasd 7y ago
I don't see how I can exclude anything but banking, hosting and PIM from this (and some PIM apps and hosting platforms have their own discussion or support forums). So the only compliant answer to that would be an export from the password database with almost all of the 800 accounts in the ‘web’ category. And I ain't gonna research when I last used each of those accounts.

saagarjha 7y ago

I can see them adding in boutique social networks as people move to them.