LONDON — Britain’s Trade Secretary Peter Kyle told POLITICO he is “not in the business of criticizing other countries” amid President Trump’s plan to require tourists to the United States to hand over their social media data.
According to a proposal by the Trump administration published Wednesday, visitors to the U.S. — including from Britain — would have to submit five years of social media activity before being allowed through the border.
The plans, which come shortly before hundreds of thousands of football fans are expected to travel to the U.S. to watch their teams compete in the World Cup this summer, have generated concern among some European politicians.
“Every country takes very seriously the way that it protects its borders and makes sure that it has a grip on people who come into the country that are aligned with its own values and principles,” Kyle said when asked if he was worried about the plans.
“I’m not in a business of criticizing other countries in the way that they do it, because we are certainly taking it very seriously for our own country.”
Kyle spoke to POLITICO in California as part of a visit to advance trade talks and drum up investment alongside U.K. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall.
Both Kendall and Kyle previously expressed criticism of Trump on social media before entering government.
Kendall said “the American government is rightly passionate about freedom of speech and will follow its own values and principles there.”



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