ATTENTION visa-free travelers to US! You could be required to disclose 5 years of social media histories before being allowed entry
This is another step in the Trump administration’s ongoing push to tighten entry rules. It follows a newly announced travel ban affecting roughly 30 countries, introduced earlier this month in response to the fatal shooting of two National Guard members in Washington.
The Trump administration is moving to introduce a rule that would require travelers from more than 40 nations to submit details of their social media activity from the past five years before being allowed into the United States, according to a notice published on Tuesday in the Federal Register. The proposal, issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, says this information would become a mandatory part of the entry process for citizens of 42 countries that currently participate in the visa waiver program.
Travelers from nations such as the United Kingdom and Germany, who don’t need visas to visit the U.S., could now face an additional layer of scrutiny. At present, visitors from these waived countries only need to fill out the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). Under the new rule, sharing social media history would be added to the ESTA requirements.
The proposal marks another step in the Trump administration’s ongoing push to tighten entry rules. It follows a newly announced travel ban affecting roughly 30 countries, introduced earlier this month in response to the fatal shooting of two National Guard members in Washington.
Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, President Doland Trump defended the tougher measures, saying, “Our priority is to make sure the wrong people aren’t allowed into the country.”
Besides social media information, Customs and Border Protection is also proposing to collect additional personal details, including phone numbers and email addresses used over the past five years, along with the names and addresses of family members, the notice states.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security emphasized that the plan is still in its early stages, and officials have yet to determine how applicants would be expected to submit their social media records.
In a statement issued Wednesday, CBP said the proposal “is simply the opening step in exploring new policy tools designed to enhance the safety of the American public.”
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