United States officials now have permission to collect usernames and other social media information from all immigrants seeking to enter the country. The new rule went into effect October 18 as an amendment to the U.S. Privacy Act. The Privacy Act establishes policies for how the government can collect and use information about individuals. The measure was enacted in 1974 after Richard M. Nixon resigned from the presidency. The new amendment gives the Department of Homeland Security permission to collect social media handles, aliases, associated identifiable information and search results. The rule affects both permanent U.S. residents and naturalized citizens. The collected information becomes part of the person’s immigration records.