The Trump administration has proposed a sweeping change that would require all foreign tourists to disclose up to five years of their social media history before they can travel to the United States, according to a notice published in the Federal Register.
Under the notice published on December 10, the request would make social-media history a “mandatory data element” for travelers applying via the online Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which allows citizens of visa-waiver countries to apply for authorization to travel to the U.S. for short-term visits without obtaining a traditional visa. The authorization costs $40 and is typically valid for two years, allowing the holder to make multiple entries into the United States during that time.
“CBP is adding social media as a mandatory data element for an ESTA application,” the notice said. “The data element will require ESTA applicants to provide their social media from the last five years.”
Why It Matters
The administration has implemented tighter entry restrictions for travelers to the U.S., under President Donald Trump’s stricter measures to clamp down on legal pathways to enter the country.
What To Know
The proposal outlined in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection notice also calls for disclosure of information about family members, including names, dates of birth, and places of residence, among other personal data.
The agency also plans to collect previously used telephone numbers from the last five years, email addresses from the last 10 years, IP addresses, and metadata from electronically submitted photos, according to the memo.
If implemented, the proposal would extend social media vetting to ESTA-approved countries previously exempted, including United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and South Korea.
Last week, the State Department announced plans to expand social media vetting to include H-1B visa applicants and their dependents.
In June, the agency announced that individuals applying for certain types of U.S. visas would need to make their social media profiles publicly accessible.
Since President Donald Trump took office in January, there have been multiple reports of travelers being denied entry to the U.S. based on social media posts and messages found on their personal devices.
What People Are Saying
Sophia Cope, a senior staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said in a statement: “It has not proven effective at finding terrorists and other bad guys. But it has chilled the free speech and invaded the privacy of innocent travelers, along with that of their American family, friends and colleagues.”
Farshad Owji, past president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and partner at law firm WR Immigration, told The Washington Post: “Having the citizenship of an ESTA country doesn’t necessarily mean that person has a political view that is aligned with the current administration’s view.”
What Happens Next
The Federal Register notice states that the U.S. public has 60 days to submit comments on the proposal.
This is a developing story; updates to follow.
