U.S. plans to require visitors’ social media history for entry
Visitors traveling to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) may soon face stricter entry requirements, including the disclosure of up to five years of social media history, according to a notice published in the Federal Register, Qaznform News Agency learnt from Al Jazeera.
The proposed rule, issued by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), would apply to travelers using the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which currently allows citizens of 42 countries — including the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Israel, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand — to enter the US for up to 90 days without a visa.
At present, ESTA applicants are required to provide limited personal information such as parents’ names, email addresses, and criminal history. A question about social media accounts was added in 2016 but has remained optional. Under the new proposal, disclosure would become mandatory.
CBP said it plans to collect social media accounts used in the past five years, telephone numbers from the past five years, email addresses from the past ten years, metadata from electronically submitted photographs, family details, including relatives’ places of birth and phone numbers and biometric data such as fingerprints, DNA, and iris scans.
The agency described these additions as “high-value data fields” that would strengthen screening procedures.
The move follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in January 2025, which called for enhanced vetting of travelers to prevent potential national security threats. Travelers from non-VWP countries are already required to submit social media information, a policy introduced during Trump’s first administration and maintained under President Joe Biden.
The announcement did not specify what authorities intend to look for in social media accounts. Privacy advocates have raised concerns about the scope of the data collection, while supporters argue it is necessary for national security.
The public has 60 days to submit comments on the proposed changes before they are finalized.
Earlier it was reported, U.S. pauses immigration cases for 19 countries over security review.
