US proposes tighter social media screening for visitors from visa-free nations

Foreign visitors eligible to enter the United States without a visa may soon be required to provide the Department of Homeland Security with far more personal information, including details of their social media activity, email accounts, and family background.

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According to a notice published on Wednesday (10 December) in the Federal Register, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is proposing to collect up to five years’ worth of social media data from travellers from certain visa-waiver countries.

US expands traveller data requirements

As part of its screening process, the United States will require social media history and other “high-value data fields” from travellers who are permitted to enter the country without a visa.

CBS News reports that visitors will also have to provide email addresses used over the past 10 years and personal information relating to immediate family members, including phone numbers and home addresses.

In addition, they may be asked to supply other “high-value data”, such as DNA and extensive personal details of family members, including their dates of birth and places of residence.

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Travellers from countries outside the Visa Waiver Programme are already required to submit their social media information, a policy introduced during the first Trump administration and maintained under President Biden.

Visa-waiver nations targeted

According to the proposal, the changes would apply to visitors from 42 countries participating in the US Visa Waiver Programme. This includes European nations such as the United Kingdom, Germany and France, as well as close US allies including Australia, Israel, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

The visa waiver allows citizens of these countries to enter the United States for up to 90 days for tourism or business without applying for a visa.

Although citizens of visa-waiver nations do not normally need a visa to travel to the US, they must still complete an online application and undergo screening through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) before entering the country.

At present, the ESTA system automatically screens applicants and grants travel approval without requiring an in-person interview at a US embassy or consulate, unlike the standard visa process.

Personal information sought

Currently, ESTA applicants are required to provide more limited information, such as their parents’ names, current email address and details of any previous criminal record. A question asking travellers to provide their social media information was first introduced in 2016, but it has remained optional.

The new notice states that CBP plans to request additional personal information from travellers, including telephone numbers used within the past five years and email addresses used over the last 10 years.

Authorities also said they intend to add what they describe as “high-value data fields” to the ESTA application “when feasible”.

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These would include metadata from electronically submitted photographs, extensive information about applicants’ family members, such as their places of birth and phone numbers used over the past five years, as well as biometric data, including fingerprints, DNA and iris scans.

The announcement did not specify what the administration intends to examine in visitors’s social media accounts or why such additional information is being requested.

Move aligns with Trump's order

CBP noted that if an applicant chooses not to answer the social media question, or does not have a social media account, the ESTA application can still be submitted without this being viewed negatively.

CBP said in a statement on Wednesday that the rule has not yet taken effect and is not final. “Nothing has changed on this front for those coming to the United States. This is not a final rule; it is simply the first step in opening a discussion on new policy options to keep the American people safe,” the agency said.

“The Department is constantly assessing how we vet those entering the country, especially after the recent terrorist attack in Washington, DC, against our National Guard just before Thanksgiving,” the statement added.

The agency said it is acting in accordance with an executive order issued earlier this year by US President Donald Trump, calling for enhanced screening of individuals entering the United States to prevent potential national security threats.

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The notice states that the public will have 60 days to comment on the proposed changes before they are implemented.