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Tourists from dozens of countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan and France, could be asked to provide a five-year social media history as a condition of entry to the United States, according to a new proposal put forward by U.S. officials.
This new requirement would affect people from dozens of countries eligible to visit the United States for 90 days without a visa, provided they have completed the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
Since returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump has taken steps to strengthen U.S. borders more generally, citing national security as a primary reason.
Analysts believe that this new project constitutes an obstacle for potential visitors, in addition to infringing on their digital rights.
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The United States expects a larger flow of foreign tourists next year as it hosts the men’s World Cup with Canada and Mexico, in addition to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The proposal document was submitted by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), of which the agency is a part.
US media reported that the document was published in the Federal Register, the official journal of the US government. The BBC has requested comment on the matter from DHS.
The proposal states that “the data element will ask ESTA applicants to provide their social networks over the last 5 years”, without providing further details on the specific information that will be requested.
The current ESTA requires a relatively limited amount of information from travelers, as well as a one-time payment of US$40 (R$220). It is available to citizens of around 40 countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Australia and Japan, and allows them to visit the United States multiple times over a two-year period.
In addition to collecting social media information, the new document proposes collecting phone numbers and email addresses used by applicants over the past five and 10 years, respectively, as well as more information about their family members.
The text mentions a Trump executive order from January titled “Protecting the United States from foreign terrorists and other threats to national security and public safety.”
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The Trump administration previously announced that it would review social media profiles when evaluating foreign national skilled worker or H1B student visa applications.
The State Department said it will review the “online presence” of applicants and their dependents, and that privacy settings on all social networks must be public for this screening to take place.
An announcement on the website of the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Mexico states that some visa applicants must list all usernames for each platform they have used in the past five years. And warns that if a social network is not listed, visas may be refused.
A State Department official said of the student visa policy: “American citizens expect their government to do everything possible to make our country safer, and that’s exactly what the Trump administration is doing every day.” »
Agents were instructed to identify those “who advocate or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to national security; or who commit unlawful acts of anti-Semitic harassment or violence.”
As part of the Trump administration’s efforts to tighten borders, officials said a travel ban that currently affects 19 countries in Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean could soon be expanded.
The measure was announced following a shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC, in which an Afghan man was identified as a suspect.
The new proposal on ESTA data collection for tourists is open for public consultation for 60 days.
Sophia Cope of the digital rights organization Electronic Frontier Foundation criticized the plan, telling the New York Times that it could “increase attacks on civil liberties.”
Meanwhile, immigration law firm Fragomen suggested that the move could have practical impacts, as applicants may have to wait longer for ESTA approval.
Experts have previously suggested that travel policy changes introduced under the Trump administration have impacted the US tourism industry.
Earlier this year, the World Travel and Tourism Council said the United States was the only one of 184 economies analyzed to see a decline in international visitor spending in 2025.
October marked the tenth consecutive month of decline in the number of Canadian travelers to the United States. In the past, Canadians made up about a quarter of all international visitors, spending more than $20 billion a year, according to the US Travel Association.
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