Trump administration proposes mandatory social media disclosures for foreign tourists

The Trump administration is set to require all foreign visitors to the United States to provide their social media histories from the past five years as a condition of entry, a notice published in the Federal Register stated.

The new requirement, issued by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), would be mandatory for all new entrants, regardless of whether they come from countries that currently do not require visas. This could impose additional hurdles on travelers from nations such as the United Kingdom and Germany, where visitors typically use the Electronic System for Travel Authorizations (ESTA) instead of obtaining visas, NBC reports.

In addition to social media histories, the notice indicates that CBP will collect further personal information, including email addresses and telephone numbers used in the last five years, as well as the addresses and names of family members.

The notice allows the US public 60 days to comment on the proposal. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The proposal comes amid a broader effort by the Trump administration to increase restrictions on entry to the US, consistent with President Donald Trump’s longstanding focus on border security and immigration crackdowns.

The timing coincides with the upcoming FIFA World Cup events in the US, which are expected to draw visitors from around the world, including from visa-waiver countries such as the UK.

This measure builds on prior restrictions, including a June State Department directive requiring certain visa applicants to make their social media profiles public. The Electronic Frontier Foundation criticized that policy as “unprecedented” and designed to “surveil and suppress foreign students’ social media activity.” Last week, the State Department announced plans to extend an “online presence review” to H-1B applicants and their dependents.

Since returning to office in January, the Trump administration has also pursued visa revocations for individuals in the US who protested the war in Gaza, and announced plans to tighten various forms of legal immigration following the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., by an Afghan national, who has pleaded not guilty.

By Vafa Guliyeva