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The emerging policies from the US government reveal a troubling reality toward authoritarianism, raising serious concerns about civil liberties and privacy rights. Despite President Donald Trump’s consistent statements that these measures are necessary to protect the nation from foreign powers like China and Russia, their recent actions have only demonstrated the opposite, as they threaten the very freedoms they claim to defend.
Since the 2010s, the US has been tracking the phone and social media activity of individuals at the border. However, in December 2025, the Trump administration proposed that “visitors from ‘visa waiver’ countries will have to provide a five-year social media history to enter the US”. This requirement was justified as a measure to “protect the United States from foreign terrorists and other national security and other public safety threats”. Alongside the collection of social media information, the new document states that “travellers will have to provide additional personal information, including all telephone numbers used over the past five years and email addresses used over the previous ten years,” as well as information regarding family members. Not only is this a complete invasion of privacy, but it also contradicts the stated purpose, as the data is often used for political or security profiling rather than public safety.
An illustrative incident occurred in March, when the US border agents turned away a French scientist, despite his posing no actual threat to security. The French authorities blame messages commenting on President Trump’s policies for the decision. Despite the US denying that politics had played a role, they provided no other explanation. The push for this surveillance of social media usage was announced in the wake of a shooting of two National Guard members in Washington DC, in which an Afghan man is accused. The timing of this proposal further highlights the manipulation of fear to push expansive surveillance measures.
The trend towards authoritarianism continues with new border requirements. The US announced that all travellers, including previously exempt allies like Canada, will now be required to submit facial scans and fingerprints. This also includes all children under 14, who no longer fall under the exemption. Strikingly, even China, often known for its extensive tracking and using similar technologies, does not subject young children to fingerprinting or facial scans. Not only does this show a misuse of resources, given that fingerprints are most reliable between the ages of 12 and 69, but also the US plans to hold this biometric data for up to 70 years. Whilst some might see this as a necessary security measure and be oblivious to its problematic nature, the misuse of such information in the hands of questionable organisations such as ICE can have grave consequences. Not only have 8 people died in dealings with ICE so far, but the continued access of that organisation to individuals’ personal information means they can use it for their political agenda. It no longer seems unreasonable to suggest that granting such groups access to this data is problematic and counter runs against the wider interests of the public.
In conclusion, the way the US government keeps doubling down on invasive surveillance in the name of national security is alarming. It’s not just about privacy. These actions chip away at the basic freedoms that make up what democracy is. Instead of focusing on domestic problems as Trump promised his voters before his presidency, his government keeps building up this massive surveillance system, and it appears that control is at the forefront, with no regard for people’s rights. If things keep heading this way, we could lose the balance between safety and freedom, as if one country can get away with implementing those measures with no pushback, others will only follow.
Image: EFF-Graphics, cc-by-sa 3.0
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