US to require social media history from tourists: new ESTA rules add 5-year digital screening
The US has announced that it will require five years of social media history for ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), with travelers also having to submit selfies for identity verification.
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The US has announced that it will require five years of social media history for ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), with travelers also having to submit selfies for identity verification.
Visitors will be obliged to include past email addresses and phone numbers, as well as details about family members, as the vetting procedure tightens.
This new proposal is now entering a 60-day public comment period before being fully signed off.
Who will it affect?
The requirements apply to tourists from the UK, France, Australia, and other Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries (42 in total). Previously, entrants were allowed to stay in the US for 90 days visa-free, but that is poised to change.
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Social media disclosure has been optional, but it is transitioning to being mandatory. Meanwhile, the taking of selfies aligns with broader biometric border systems.
These additional data requirements will also affect frequent flyers, who normally have quick US entry under streamlined rules.
Travelers unfamiliar with digital vetting may face application delays, while non-compliance could result in denied authorization.
Why is the US doing this?
The compression of digital security is partly triggered by an incident in which an Afghan man is suspected of having shot two national security guard members near the White House, prompting renewed scrutiny on safeguarding.
President Trump has previously stated that migration from “third-world countries” would be stopped “permanently,” as he blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for the influx of immigrants.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) emphasizes that such incidents highlight gaps in countries that are more lax on screening.
And previously, in 2019-20, there was also a proposal to collect social media data, but it didn’t get passed, due to logistical and privacy concerns.
The initial ban included 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, and Haiti, but now totals 42.
Discussions around visa screening and vetting began in the summer, and now, as the screening legislation inches closer, advocates of free speech and expression look poised for a renewed fight over digital privacy and civil liberties.
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