US could ask tourists for five-year social media history before entering the country

(Patria) - Tourists from dozens of countries could be asked to provide a five-year history of their social media use as a condition for entering the United States, according to a new proposal presented by US officials, the BBC reported.

The new condition would affect people from dozens of countries who are eligible to visit the United States for ninety days visa-free, provided they have completed the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) form.

Since returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump has moved to generally tighten US borders - citing national security as a key reason.

Analysts say the new plan could pose a barrier to potential visitors or harm their digital rights.

When asked if the proposal could lead to a sharp drop in tourism to the US, Trump said he was not worried. "No. We are doing well," Trump said on Wednesday.
"We just want people to come here, and safely. We want security. We want security. We want to be sure we are not letting the wrong people into our country."

The United States expects a large influx of foreign tourists next year, as it will co-host the FIFA World Cup with Canada and Mexico, and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The proposal was submitted by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), of which it is an agency. US media reported that the proposal appeared in the Federal Register, the official journal of the US government.
The proposal states that the "data element will require ESTA visa applicants to provide their social media profiles from the past five years," without providing further details on what specific information will be requested.

Tightening Rules

The existing ESTA visa requires a relatively limited amount of information from travelers, as well as a one-time fee of forty dollars. It is available to citizens of about forty countries and allows them to visit the United States multiple times during a two-year period.

In addition to collecting social media information, the new document proposes collecting applicants' phone numbers and email addresses used in the past five and ten years, respectively, and more information about their family members.
The text cites Trump's January executive order 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 visa data for tourists calls on the public to comment for sixty days.
Sophia Cope of the digital rights organization Electronic Frontier Foundation criticized the plan, telling the New York Times that it could "exacerbate harm to civil liberties."
Meanwhile, immigration law firm Fragomen suggested that there could be practical consequences as applicants could face longer waits for ESTA visa approvals.

The Trump administration previously announced that it would examine social media accounts when vetting foreign nationals applying for student visas or H1B visas for skilled workers.

The State Department announced that it would conduct checks of "online presence" for applicants and their dependents, and that privacy settings on all social media profiles must be "public" for this check to be performed.

An announcement on the website of the US Embassy and Consulates in Mexico states that certain visa applicants must provide all usernames or nicknames on social media platforms they have used in the past five years.

It warns that if any social media information is not provided, it could lead to the denial of both current and future visas.

Impact on American Tourism

A senior State Department official said of the student visa policy: "American citizens expect their government to make every effort to make our country safer, and that is exactly what the Trump administration is doing every day."

Police officers have been ordered to check those "who advocate for, assist, or support certain foreign terrorists and other threats to national security, or who engage in unlawful anti-Semitic harassment or violence."

As part of the administration's broader efforts to tighten borders, officials recently stated that the existing travel ban, which affects nineteen countries in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, could soon be expanded.

The move was announced following a shooting attack on two National Guard members in Washington, in which an Afghan national was named as the suspect.

Experts have previously suggested that the changes in travel policies introduced under Trump have had an impact on the US tourism industry.

Earlier this year, the World Travel & Tourism Council announced that the US was the only one of 184 economies analyzed for which a decline in international tourist spending is expected in 2025.

Other Trump administration policies also appear to be affecting the country's tourism. Many Canadians are boycotting travel to the United States as a form of protest against Trump's tariffs.

October marked the tenth consecutive month in which the number of Canadian tourists visiting the United States has decreased.

In the past, Canadians accounted for about a quarter of all international visitors to the United States, spending more than twenty billion dollars annually, according to the US Travel Association.