I deleted my entire social media presence before visiting the US – I'm a citizen

Border control, dissent, and self-censorship

• Several commenters say deleting or hiding social media before US entry is rational self‑protection, even for citizens, given recent stories of detentions, ideological questioning, and “Constitution‑free” border practices.
• Others think tying this specifically to US citizens’ reentry is overdramatic or “fear‑mongering,” though multiple news links are cited about citizens and visitors allegedly questioned or refused entry over politics or memes.
• One person notes the moral dilemma: citizens can choose to be “test cases” to push back publicly, but people with kids or jobs may reasonably avoid risk.

Practical tactics: deletion, burners, and decoy identities

• Approaches described: fully deleting social accounts; wiping apps, passwords, and political SMS; traveling with no laptop; or bringing a cheap “burner” phone with minimal, sanitized content.
• Some propose “clean” real‑name accounts for official scrutiny and separate pseudonymous accounts for real expression; others joke about pro‑administration “Trump phones” as border theater.
• Concerns are raised that last‑minute deletions may themselves look suspicious and don’t remove data already harvested.

Surveillance capabilities and limits of privacy

• Commenters assume agencies already have deep access via Palantir-style datasets, data brokers (e.g., Incogni is mentioned ironically), and tools like Mobile Fortify and Clearview AI tied into multiple government and commercial databases.
• There’s skepticism that anything ever truly gets deleted or that lying about accounts helps, since embassies and agencies are reported to find undisclosed profiles.
• Some expect AI‑driven stylometry to erode pseudonymity over time.

Citizens vs non‑citizens and who is deterred

• Non‑citizens are seen as at far greater risk: they can be denied entry or held for long periods even with tickets home; one comment suggests they should assume serious “opsec” if politically outspoken.
• Citizens are legally guaranteed reentry but may face interrogations or device searches.
• A few say they now simply avoid traveling to the US at all, arguing it feels less safe or welcoming than many other countries.

Language, politics, and “illegal immigrant” debate

• A long subthread debates terms like “illegal immigrant,” “unauthorized immigrant,” and “illegal alien.”
• One side argues that calling people “illegal” is inherently dehumanizing and historically a step toward abuse; the other side sees it as a factual descriptor of unlawful entry, comparable to “burglar” or “fraudster.”
• This spills into broader issues: identity politics, “hate speech,” color‑blindness vs acknowledging racism, and how labels shape public perception.

Social media as entrapment and broader critiques

• Many argue social media became “self‑surveillance” years ago, not just in 2025, with prior administrations already leveraging it for vetting and border searches.
• Others say none of this is new: Facebook and similar platforms have always been de facto intelligence dossiers, now monetized and normalized.
• Some commenters express contempt for people who loudly publicize their digital capitulation instead of either resisting or quietly adapting.
• There’s also meta‑discussion about articles like this being flagged on HN and whether this reflects community bias or moderation issues.