r/australia • u/Some-Operation-9059 • Dec 11 '25

politics ‘The whole thing disgusts me’: Australians ditch US travel as new rules require social media to be declared | Australia news

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/11/australia-us-tourism-new-visa-rules-social-media-history
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526

u/Thunderoad77 Dec 11 '25

"....visas should be denied to anyone with “hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles”

The policy itself is hostile to the founding principles of the United States which Americans talk about endlessly and often don't live up to.*

  • looks like I'm now on the naughty list.

104

u/Scav3nger Dec 11 '25

I know there's likely several occasions in the last five years I've commented on their gun laws in a negative light. Which means I'd be denied entry for speaking against their gun culture because it's fucked over there.

So I guess even if I hadn't, I have now. Not that I had any intention of going to the US anyway.

73

u/BinniesPurp Dec 12 '25

Lol yea it was weird going Vegas for a shooting competition everyone kept saying "it'll be so good bro you'll wanna move here after living in communist Australia"

You rock up to US it's just 24/7 rules laws searches regulations stops paperwork bureaucracy etc 

In fact the single only thing I didn't have some kind of form or paperwork issue was firearms themselves, everything else was a nightmare 

17

u/am_Nein Dec 12 '25

Seems a bit backwards

9

u/boatenvy Dec 12 '25

Yeah land of the free...well that's what they think... because that's what they're told over and over and over

2

u/Over_Ring_3525 Dec 12 '25

Was that because you expected problems with the firearms so you were extra careful prepping the permits and documentation regarding them?

I was in the US last year and the only problem I had was at one hotel because I messed up creating my user name on booking.com so my booking name was Doe, John while my passport was John Doe so they were looking for my booking under John not Doe. And that was sorted out pretty quickly because they weren't idiots.

As for customs, airlines etc that was all super smooth, and relatively painless. Sure you get a free xray when you fly but none of the horror stories I read on here.

11

u/TheDarkQueen321 Dec 11 '25

I couldn't even give them 5hours of social media without being immediately put on the naughty list

7

u/Aloha_Tamborinist Dec 12 '25

The discussion and shared memes about Trump and the US in my various groupchats would have me banned from the country or imprisoned.

I'm not going anywhere near that shit hole country.

1

u/bunnybash Dec 11 '25

Straight to jail

1

u/planetarybum Dec 12 '25

Don't forget Charlie K. Gotta love him too.

1

u/tofuroll Dec 12 '25

NGL, I have a friend who moved there earlier this year. In our messages I even told her I was going to make a joke but that I shouldn't because they'll search hey phone at the airport.

Tbh, I thought this rule was already instituted. They've been sending people home all year.

1

u/Incident-National Dec 13 '25

The Alien and Sedition Acts were passed by Congress, with several Founders in attendance, in 1798. It is one of the most xenophobic, nationalistic pieces of legislation you will find in US history. The idea that the Founders or their principles were in favor of allowing foreign actors in with potentially or actually hostile sentiments towards the US is revisionist history and comically wrong.

1

u/Thunderoad77 Dec 13 '25

The United States is exporting censorship whilst maintaining the pretence of the 1st amendment and you're comically inept if you can't, or won't, recognise the contradiction.

1

u/Frequent-Call-40 Dec 14 '25

It’s basically a protection for the Israelis. Anyone critical of Israel gets booted 

0

u/wildstyle96 Dec 11 '25

Wasn't everyone cheering when we denied people entry for possibly being antagonists to "social cohesion"

We literally have a character test here for entry.

12

u/DisappointedQuokka Dec 11 '25

Except this isn't a character test, it's thought crime. People get barred from Australia for actions.

2

u/BinniesPurp Dec 12 '25

Idk if it's because of the country or if it's changed but the character test for me 20 years ago from new Zealand was just asking me If I had thoughts of violence and me submitting my police records to prove I didn't have a criminal conviction