The United States is considering new requirements that would force millions of foreign visitors to hand over years of personal online activity before being allowed to enter the country. It is part of a broader shift toward heightened screening that makes America feel far less welcoming to travelers.
US May Require Five Years Of Social Media Details From Tourists Entering The Country
Under a proposal by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, travelers entering under the visa waiver program would need to provide social media information covering the last five years. That could include usernames across multiple platforms, linked email addresses, and phone numbers, though we do not know the extent of the information that will be requested. CBP claims this is to verify identity and assess risk, but the scope of what will actually be reviewed remains vague.
In order to comply with the January 2025 Executive Order 14161 (Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats), CBP is adding social media as a mandatory data element for an ESTA application. The data element will require ESTA applicants to provide their social media from the last 5 years.
Critically, the government has not explained whether it would collect only public handles or dive deeper into private data such as deleted content or direct messages. There is also no clarity on how this information would be stored, shared, or secured. The proposal is at the regulatory stage, which means final details could tighten or loosen, but the intent is unmistakable: a major expansion of digital surveillance for tourists.
The public now has 60 days to comment before the new rule could theoretically take effect.
A Warmer Welcome Would Be Better
I find this deeply discouraging as someone who travels constantly. Travel is supposed to foster connection between people and cultures, not suspicion. Yet we are watching the United States become a less and less inviting place for visitors. First came higher national park fees for foreigners. Then tougher rules for visas and arrivals from countries that have long been friendly to the USA. Now a plan to surveil what you say online just to spend money here as a tourist or work for American companies.
I understand border security. I understand the desire to catch real threats. But this kind of policy casts everyone as a potential criminal. A family coming to Disneyland from the UK should not have to worry that a joke on social media from years ago may surface during a border inspection. It sends exactly the wrong message about who we are and who we want to welcome.
Of course, that’s my political take, and I expect others will (respectfully) disagree. But I’m against it because I don’t want to go to Canada or Japan or Germany and face similar scrutiny. And frankly, if the USA starts such onerous requirements for tourists from visa waiver nations to visit this country, then full reciprocity would be understandable.
It has been pointed out that the U.S. CBP can demand your electronic devices upon entry to the USA. There are still methods to probe those who questionably present at a US border without making everyone guilty until proven innocent.
I sense such animus toward foreigners these days by the current administration and it makes no sense to me: tourism is an important part of the American economy and this idea of pushing autarky seems absolutely foolish in a global world of comparative advantage and exploding centers of wealth from Mumbai to Madrid and from Tokyo to Toronto.
The U.S. is a beautiful nation with warm and kind people. Historically, part of “making the world safer and stronger for democracy” meant showcasing the American system and way of life: our open society and broad freedoms. Sadly, that appears no longer to be the case…
CONCLUSION
The U.S. government can and should screen for legitimate risks, but demanding years of social media history from tourists crosses a line. If implemented poorly, it will further tarnish the image of America as a place where people are free to speak their mind without government scrutiny. The world is watching. A nation that prides itself on liberty should be very careful before tying its welcome mat to a database of online posts.
Ok. ‘Make me.’
Oh my God. When they find out my preferences on PornHub, I’m going straight to Alligator Alcatraz.
They say, ‘don’t yuck other’s yum,’ but, if you’re into animal stuff, I suppose, sending you there might not be ‘punishment’ enough…
No, nothing with animals or minors. I’m not a MAGA.
It’s painfully apparent that this is simply theatre to keep out people who are deemed undesirable for reasons other than security. This is the kind of stuff you expect from bizarre third world dictatorships rather than the once-leader of the free world.
Yup. The whiny bitchy orange tuff guy doesn’t want people who make fun of him or vp tattoo to come to Uhmerica.
Buh bye tourism!
We may not know the details yet, but the existing approach for student visas may offer insight:
– Applicants are instructed to make their profiles public.
– Failure to do so, or even failing to have a social media presence, can result in a negative inference.
Would you sacrifice your right to have a private social media account just to be able to visit the Grand Canyon?
And while they’re at it, they want you to provide the phone number, birth date, and residence of your parents and siblings as well. Just a remarkable set of demands.
And, selfishly, visa and immigration policy tends to be tit-for-tat, and so Americans can probably expect reciprocal treatment.
There are people, amazingly enough, who aspire to never travel internationally. These are the people who I imagine will be part of the increasingly shrinking group of Uhmericans who support this nonsense. Oh little Marco…
Wait – you mean a person can’t not have a social media presence?? What about the many of us that stopped using Facebook? Does that mean I’d be suspect? And I don’t use Instagram – another telltale sign that I’m somehow a terrorist? Wow.
And exactly how does one “supply 5 years of social media”? I sure don’t have anything like that stored up. Does that mean that Meta and Google will be forced to find all our messages from all these years? Even with AI, who the heck has time for all that??
So other countries may retaliate – no surprise. And I suppose even Americans will eventually be drilled upon returning from an international trip.
This is how we spend our government money?
Bingo. Countries will inevitably reciprocate and I’m sure the Trump regime will whine about it.
PS: This is the same regime that whines about “censorship” but threw someone in an ICE gulag for criticizing a certain foreign country.
The United States has become a disgrace. The Trump ears will prove to be the worst in the last 100 years.
Arguably, we’ve done some pretty horrible things over the years, but, we tried to redeem ourselves by providing aide to the needy, protecting other democracies, and trying (at least trying) to ‘do the right thing.’ Yet, these days, we’ve just given up on all that… it’s really just grifting and cruelty now. Really sad. We got a lot of messes to clean up.
And, if you are in Turkey, I hope you and yours can clean up after your own authoritarian. Perhaps, you/they should start by freeing the mayor of Istanbul (Ekrem İmamoğlu) and letting him run against Erdogan in a free and fair election…
This administration’s goal is for everyone in the world to hate them as much as they hate themselves.
Yet another reason (if one is needed) to stay away from the rogue state at least until Criminal Trump is long gone and the damage he has done is undone.
If the standard is ‘not worse than Trump’s social media everybody passes.