Individuals from certain countries who can enter the United States without a visa may soon need to provide details about their social media accounts, email information, and a comprehensive family background to the Department of Homeland Security before being granted travel authorization.
A notice released on Wednesday in the Federal Register indicated that Customs and Border Protection is planning to gather five years’ worth of social media data from travelers from designated nations that are exempt from visa requirements to enter the United States.
The Trump administration’s proposed changes to visa-free travel would affect millions of visitors from roughly 40 countries, marking a significant expansion of existing screening measures.
Under the proposal from Customs and Border Protection, travelers using the Visa Waiver Program would submit far more information than currently required. The new requirements include telephone numbers from the past five years, email addresses from the past decade, photo metadata, and detailed family information, including birthplaces and phone numbers.
These tourists currently enter the United States through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which allows 90-day visits without embassy interviews.
“We want safety, we want security, we want to make sure we’re not letting the wrong people come into our country,” President Donald Trump said, the Associated Press reported.
The administration has already tightened visa rules since January. Applicants must now set social media accounts to public for scrutiny, with refusal potentially resulting in denial.
CBP emphasized the proposal’s preliminary nature.
“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 starting a discussion to have new policy options to keep the American people safe,” the agency said in a statement, per AP.
Travelers from non-waiver countries already submit social media information, a policy dating to Trump’s first term. The Biden administration maintained this requirement.
The public has 60 days to comment before potential implementation. The changes would represent the most extensive data collection from visa-free travelers in U.S. history.
