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All tourists – including Brits travelling to the US for the 2026 World Cup – will have to undergo a social media screening before being allowed to enter the US, under new proposals being considered by the country’s border authorities.
According to a notice published in the country’s federal register on Tuesday, foreign tourists would need to provide their social media from the last five years.
At present, travellers from more than 40 countries – including Britain – can visit the US for up to 90 days without a visa, as long as they hold an electronic travel authorisation, known as an ESTA.
However, the proposed social-media requirement, put forward by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), would apply to all visitors, regardless of whether or not they need a visa.
Information from the social-media review would then be used to decide whether a traveller is granted an ESTA.
It will be “mandatory” to hand over the information, and other details – including email addresses and telephone numbers used in the last five years, as well as the names, addresses, numbers, and birthdays of family members – will also be required.
The proposed changes are open for public consultation for 60 days.
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Commenting on the proposed plans, Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, said: “These barriers will hit UK travel to the USA hard. History shows us that when a destination becomes harder to reach, British holidaymakers simply go elsewhere.
“Right now, US bookings are up 20 per cent across our membership, driven by events like the football World Cup, but new obstacles could quickly reverse that trend.”
It comes as the US faces a significant downturn in international tourism.
Data from May showed a projected $12.5 billion loss in travel revenue for 2025, with spending expected to fall below $169 billion by the end of the year.
Foreign arrivals are also set to drop to 67.9 million this year, down from 72.4 million in 2024, according to the US Travel Association.
The association attributed the decline to lingering Covid-era rules, a strong dollar and negative perceptions tied to the Trump administration’s “America First” agenda.
