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It might be time for travellers planning US trips to scrub their social media profiles.
A new proposal from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), published this week in the federal register, would make it mandatory for would-be travellers to make their social-media history from the past five years public when applying for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
The permit is required for short stays by citizens of 41 visa-waiver countries. Providing social media information is currently optional.
What does the new proposal include?
The draft rule outlines a significantly expanded list of information CBP wants to gather.
Travellers would also need to provide every email address and phone number they have used in the past five years, plus the names and birth dates of close family members.
In an unusual twist, CBP may also require a mandatory selfie. It is also seeking authority to collect additional biometrics, including DNA and iris scans.
The proposals are open for public comment for 60 days.
The changes come amid a turbulent time for travellers visiting the US. Several have reported being denied entry after officers reviewed their online activity and deemed it too critical of Donald Trump or JD Vance. Those include a trio of German tourists and a scientist turned away after his phone was inspected at the border this spring.
They also come as the United States ramps up preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Millions of international fans are expected to travel for matches across the country.
Stricter digital vetting for workers and students
The new ESTA rules come on the heels of the United States tightening requirements for non-immigrant H-1B visas, which allow foreign workers in specialty occupations to take up temporary employment in fields such as tech, medicine, engineering and law.
From 15 December, all H-1B applicants and their dependents will undergo a review of their online presence, a process already applied to students and exchange visitors.
Applicants have been instructed to make their social media accounts public so that officers can examine their activity.
In an announcement outlining the new rules, the State Department reiterated that “a US visa is a privilege, not a right.”
The administration also announced plans this week to expand its controversial travel ban to citizens of 30 nations. It has not yet clarified which countries could be added to the existing list of 19, which includes Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran and Haiti.
Social media scrutiny adds to other travel barriers
As the Trump administration revises its travel policies, international visitors have also found themselves facing rising costs.
US national parks recently introduced ‘America-first’ pricing, imposing higher entry fees on foreign tourists – a decision criticised by some tourism groups as unwelcoming at a time when visitor numbers remain below pre-pandemic levels.
“It’s going to hurt local businesses that cater to foreign travellers,” Mark Howser, owner of a motel near Glacier National Park in Montana, told AP in November.
The new park fees and revised visa rules will move through their own review processes in the coming weeks. In the meantime, CBP says it will consider public feedback to its ESTA proposal before issuing a final rule.
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