Staff Reporter

The Trump administration has announced a sweeping new proposal that would require all foreign tourists to provide up to five years of their social media history before entering the United States.

This order will include those from visa-waiver countries like the United Kingdom and Germany. The mandate, published in the Federal Register by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), will add social media platforms and identifiers as a mandatory data element for entry screening, notably for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) used by visa-waiver program travelers.

The proposal marks an escalation in the administration’s scrutiny of foreign nationals, following a recent immigration freeze on 19 countries and an expanded vetting process for visa applicants.The move is currently open for a 60-day period for public comments.

The new requirement would affect hundreds of thousands of travelers expected for major international events, including the World Cup in 2026 and the Olympics in 2028, both scheduled to be held in the US.

In addition to social media history, the proposal would also require foreign visitors to provide email addresses used in the last 10 years, phone numbers used in the last five years and information on their family members.

This latest measure follows an August directive to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to begin scrutinizing the social media accounts of potential visa and green card applicants for evidence of anti-Americanism.

The administration, through statements from USCIS, has maintained that these enhanced checks are essential to national security.

“America’s benefits should not be given to those who despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies,” said USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser.
“Immigration benefits… remain a privilege, not a right.” He added.

The State Department has also recently announced an expansion of mandatory public social media reviews for H-1B skilled-worker visa applicants, similar to policies already in place for student visa applicants.

Earlier this month, Donald Trump paused all immigration applications from 19 countries including Afghanistan, Iran, and Venezuela, citing national security concerns following a recent terror attack in Washington, D.C.