US May Require Tourists to Share 5-Year Social Media History Under New Proposal
Foreign travellers from countries that qualify for visa-free entry to the United States could soon be asked to provide details of their social media activity from the past five years. The requirement is part of a new proposal introduced by American officials and would apply to visitors who use the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
The potential rule change comes as President Donald Trump continues his push to tighten border controls, arguing that stronger vetting measures are necessary for national security. Analysts warn that the proposal could create barriers for prospective travellers and raise concerns about digital privacy.
The US expects a surge in international visitors next year as it prepares to co-host the men’s football World Cup with Canada and Mexico, along with the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
According to documents filed by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ESTA applicants may be required to list all social media accounts used during the previous five years. The filing appeared in the Federal Register, the government’s official publication.
Currently, the ESTA form collects limited information and requires a one-time $40 (£30) fee. It is available to citizens of roughly 40 countries—including the UK, France, Australia, Ireland and Japan—and grants multiple short-term visits over a two-year period.
The new proposal also suggests collecting additional personal data such as phone numbers used in the past five years, email addresses from the past decade, and more details about applicants’ immediate family members.
The filing references a Trump executive order titled “Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats,” which underpins the push for stricter vetting.
The Trump administration had previously announced that it would review social media accounts of individuals applying for student visas or H1B skilled-worker visas. The State Department confirmed it would check the “online presence” of applicants and their dependents, and advised that privacy settings on social media accounts must be publicly accessible for screening.
According to an announcement by the US Embassy in Mexico, some visa applicants are required to list all usernames or handles used on any social media platform within the last five years. Failure to disclose these details could jeopardize current or future visa applications.
A senior State Department official defended the enhanced screening, saying Americans expect their government to do “everything possible” to protect national security.
The move comes amid broader border-security efforts, including the possible expansion of an existing travel ban affecting 19 nations across Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. That announcement followed a shooting in Washington, DC, in which an Afghan man was identified as the suspect.
The new ESTA proposal will be open to public comments for 60 days.
Digital rights groups have voiced concerns. Sophia Cope of the Electronic Frontier Foundation warned that the plan could worsen risks to civil liberties. Immigration law firm Fragomen added that applicants may experience longer processing times as a result of the expanded data collection.
Travel experts note that several Trump-era policies have already affected tourism numbers. The World Travel & Tourism Council previously reported that the US was the only one among 184 economies expected to see a drop in international visitor spending in 2025.
Other measures—such as tariffs that prompted many Canadians to avoid travelling to the US—have contributed to weakening tourism, with October marking the tenth consecutive month of declining Canadian visits.