US could ask tourists for five-year social media history before entry

Tourists from dozens of countries, including the United Kingdom, 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 unveiled by U.S. officials.

The 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 an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) form.

Since returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump has moved to strengthen America’s borders more generally, citing national security as the reason.

Analysts say the new project could pose a barrier to potential visitors or infringe on their digital rights.

Asked whether the proposal could lead to a sharp decline in U.S. tourism, Trump said he was not worried.

“No. We’re doing very well,” the president said Wednesday.

“We just want people to come here and be safe. We want safety. We want security.

“We want to make sure we don’t let bad people into our country.”

The United States is expecting a large influx of foreign tourists next year as it hosts the men’s World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, as well as the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

The proposal document was filed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its component agency, Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

It was published in the Federal Register, the official journal of the US government.

The proposal states that “the data element will require ESTA applicants to provide their social networks from the last 5 years”, without giving further details on the specific information that will be required.

The existing ESTA requires a relatively limited amount of information from travelers, as well as a one-off payment of $40 (£30). 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 information from social media, the new document proposes collecting applicants’ phone numbers and email addresses used in the last five and 10 years respectively, as well as more information about their family members.

The text cites an executive order from Trump in January, titled “Protecting the United States from foreign terrorists and other threats to national security and public safety.”

The new proposal regarding the collection of ESTA data for tourists invites the public to consult for 60 days.

“Nothing has changed on this front for those coming to the United States,” a CBP spokesperson said in a statement.

“This is not a final rule, it is simply the first step in beginning a discussion to find new policy options to keep the American people safe.”

Sophia Cope of the digital rights organization Electronic Frontier Foundation criticized the plan, telling the New York Times that it could “exacerbate attacks on civil liberties.”

Meanwhile, immigration law firm Fragomen has suggested that there may be practical consequences as applicants may have to wait longer for ESTA approval.

The Trump administration previously announced it would review social media accounts when reviewing foreign nationals applying for a student visa or an H-1B skilled worker visa.

The State Department said it will conduct reviews of the “online presence” of applicants and their dependents, and that the privacy settings of all social media profiles must be made “public” for this review 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 or social media handles of each platform they have used in the past five years.

It warns that if social media information is not listed, it could result in denial of current and future visas.

A senior 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 seek out those “who advocate, aid, 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 administration’s broader efforts to strengthen borders, officials recently said an existing travel ban — affecting 19 countries in Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean — could soon be expanded.

The move was announced following a shooting of two National Guard members in Washington DC, in which an Afghan man is accused.

Experts have previously suggested that changes to travel policies introduced under Trump 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.

Other Trump administration policies also appear to be affecting tourism in the country, such as many Canadians boycotting travel to the United States in protest of Trump’s tariffs.

October marked the 10th 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 to the United States, spending more than $20 billion annually, according to the US Travel Association.