- US proposes requiring tourists to submit five years of social media history
- Rule targets travellers using the visa-free ESTA system
- Policy driven by Trump administration’s tightened national security measures
Tourists from dozens of countries, including the UK, may soon be required to submit a five-year social media history as a condition for entering the United States under a new proposal released by American officials.
The rule would apply to citizens of countries eligible for visa-free travel to the US for up to 90 days through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). Since returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump has pushed for stricter border controls, citing national security concerns.
Analysts warn that the new requirement could discourage potential visitors and raise serious digital privacy issues.
The US is preparing for a significant rise in visitors next year as it co-hosts the men’s football World Cup with Canada and Mexico, followed by the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The proposal—filed by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—appeared in the Federal Register, the official journal of the US government. DHS has not yet commented.
According to the proposal, ESTA applicants would be required to provide “their social media from the last five years,” though specific details on what information will be collected are not provided.
Currently, the ESTA process requires limited traveller information and costs $40 (£30). It is available to citizens of about 40 countries, including the UK, Ireland, France, Australia, and Japan, and allows multiple entries over a two-year period.
Beyond social media history, the proposal also seeks to collect applicants’ phone numbers from the past five years, email addresses used over the past decade, and additional information about family members. The proposal references Trump’s January executive order titled “Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.”
The Trump administration has previously expanded social media disclosure requirements for student visa and H1B visa applicants, with the latter now also facing higher fees. A senior State Department official defended the measure, saying Americans expect their government to “make every effort” to keep the country safe.
Officials have also instructed immigration officers to screen for individuals who support terrorist groups or pose national security threats. In line with broader border-tightening efforts, the administration recently signaled that an existing travel ban affecting 19 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean may soon be expanded, following a shooting incident in Washington DC involving an Afghan suspect.
The proposed ESTA changes are open for public comment for 60 days.
Digital rights advocate Sophia Cope of the Electronic Frontier Foundation criticised the plan in comments to the New York Times, warning it could “exacerbate civil liberties harms.” Immigration law firm Fragomen added that the policy could lead to longer ESTA processing times.
Experts say Trump-era travel policies have already impacted US tourism. The World Travel & Tourism Council recently reported that the US is the only one of 184 analyzed economies expected to see a decline in international visitor spending in 2025.
Other policies have also discouraged travel, including Canadian boycotts sparked by Trump’s tariffs. October marked the 10th consecutive month of declining travel from Canada, whose citizens historically account for about a quarter of all international visits to the US, spending more than $20 billion (£15.1bn) annually.
