The government announced the plan in June in a bid to give the DHS clarity and visibility to possible nefarious activity and connections.
That plan adds a line to the paper form and to the online Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application that US-bound visitors must fill out if they do not have a visa and plan on staying for up to 90 days for vacation, business, or other affairs, details Ars Technica.
Under the security feature, the agency had said travelers coming to the US under the Visa Waiver Program would not be forced to disclose their social media handles. Instead, the government said, revealing passwords was optional.
Secretary Kelly, however, cautioned that his ideas on immigration security were not set in stone, have not been adopted, and were subject to change.
For visitors, entering the US other than those from the identified seven Muslim-majority countries, they would likewise be skeptical to go to America soon if the proposal of the DHS is adopted since it is as good as prying into their privacy.
While social media accounts may be public in nature, but they normally have private messaging features, which is where the bone of contention is going to happen especially if there are rather personal messages in there that the foreign visitors are keeping and saving for future reference.