WASHINGTON, D.C. — Foreign tourists from dozens of countries that typically enter the United States without a traditional visa may soon be required to submit five years of social media history under a new proposal from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The draft rule would apply to travelers using the Visa Waiver Program, which includes visitors from nations such as Australia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Israel, and Qatar.
The proposal stems from a day-one executive order by President Donald Trump directing agencies to maximize vetting procedures. Under the plan, social media information would become a mandatory element of the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application, which currently costs $40 and is valid for two years. CBP also signaled it may add additional “high-value data fields” in the future, including past telephone numbers, IP addresses, biometric identifiers, and metadata from uploaded photographs.
The requirement mirrors a July policy affecting foreign students, who were told they may be required to make their social media profiles publicly viewable to facilitate security checks. Digital rights groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation criticized that earlier rule, arguing it undermined basic privacy protections and exposed applicants to potential misuse of personal information.
If enacted, all ESTA applicants would also be required to use a mobile app to take a live selfie for identity verification. CBP previously included an optional social media field in ESTA applications, but it carried no consequences if left unanswered. The new plan will be open for a 60-day public comment period.
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