Can Facebook posts get you denied entry?

I think I'm becoming more and more paranoid about my trip but I want it all to go as smoothly as possible!

I'm planning on going to UK for 3 months and I've heard stories about people being sent back/denied entry because of incriminating diary entries or things like that, does it work the same with Facebook? Can the IOs see things I've written? I'm not planning on writing anything stupid about my trip or anything that would indicate I'll overstay, but I'm still nervous about every last detail (ha, obviously!)

Anyone have any experience with that?

If you have your page set to open so everyone can see it I suppose they could. 

Also they'd need to be absolutely positive it was your profile. What if they got the wrong person?

You could just make your profile private. You'd have to post something pretty extreme to be denied entry, I think. As long as you're not saying things like OMG I WANT TO BLOW UP THE AIRPORT or something, I think you'll pretty much be okay. Complaining about processes and queues and stuff is very tame by comparison and I wouldn't worry.

Why would you add the customs officer to your facebook friends? 

I had the same concerns since i sent in my UKM form (this time to the correct address). I have a unique name and my profile is private; however I changed my picture to trees and I removed my last name... just putting my first and middle. I've never written anything anti-UK or anything of that nature; but I become overly paranoid!

I saw in the news today a couple of people denied entry to the US based on their Twitter feed posts. It might be wise to be careful and make profiles private, or to delete any posts that could be considered suspect.

just putting my first and middle. I've never written anything anti-UK or anything of that nature; but I become overly paranoid!

Don't worry, Barack Obama doesn't say very nice things about the UK and he still gets let in

It's not anti-UK posts that could cause problems.  If you tell an IO you've come to the UK to visit "friends" and your unsecured Facebook page is full of posts about how you love your British boyfriend and can't wait to marry him and live in the UK then you better believe you'll be on the next flight back to the US.  The moral is to have some common sense and privacy controls on your Facebook. 

Don't worry, Barack Obama doesn't say very nice things about the UK and he still gets let in

Are you for real?

It's not paranoid.  Everyone knows they are watching these things and really why should you expect privacy if you have your settings set to open?

I think you have right to expect that a telephone conversation is private, and a conversation between two people in a car (although not in a restaurant), an email, but I have about 150 friends on FB.  I know them all personally and all my settings are private, but I don't really feel have an expectation of privacy on FB.  

To me it is like shouting across an open room to people I know.  Anyone could be listening.

Are you for real?

ya ok, maybe that one went over your head

What I have been wondering is that if potential employers can gain access to your Facebook no matter what your privacy settings are then certainly governments can as well?

What I have been wondering is that if potential employers can gain access to your Facebook no matter what your privacy settings are then certainly governments can as well?

At my office (I work welfare fraud) we do use it to check on clients for fraud activity (ie telling us they're single & baby daddy doesn't live with them when their FB says they're married and he's living with them). Not sure if it's any sort of 'special access' or not or we just have a really dumb bunch that doesn't lock their page down properly.

To the OP, basically if you set off the IO's tickle sense that says there's something amiss with you they could look for further information and in this day and age I wouldn't put it past them to check things like FB...they search luggage and it's been more than one occaision that peoples journals have gotten them into hot water, I wouldn't see how FB would be any different.

So if you have incriminating stuff on your FB, lock it down, get rid of it or if you're that scared apply for the visa in advance...a visitor visa is very cheap as opposed to getting bounced.

No employers can't, but some try to request your password as a condition of the job.  Governments may or may not need a warrant.  

No employers can't, but some try to request your password as a condition of the job.  Governments may or may not need a warrant.  

Thanks! I have heard so many stories of people getting turned down due to something on Facebook. Mine is on lock down and I even have it as unsearchable. Perhaps if someone leaves their profile open then they can see it. Not that I post anything controversial other than how much I detest bigots and conservatives.

I never imagined IOs checking journals either, but now that it has been mentioned it does make sense.

No employers can't, but some try to request your password as a condition of the job. 

Waitwaitwait, some employers ask for your Facebook password as a condition of the job? Am I understanding that correctly? Is that even legal?