US to Demand Five Years of Social Media History from Tourists from 42 Countries Under New Trump Plan
The US government is set to overhaul its Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) program, requiring visitors from dozens of countries to submit a decade's worth of social media history before entering the country. The proposal, which still needs to be reviewed by the White House budget office, aims to enhance national security and public safety measures.
Citizens of 42 countries that are part of the visa waiver program will be affected, including European nations such as the UK, Germany, and France, as well as US allies like Australia, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea. These countries currently enjoy visa-free travel to the US for up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes.
The proposed changes would require applicants to share their social media history from the past five years, emails used for the past decade, and personal information of immediate family members, including phone numbers and residences. The submission of social media history will be mandatory under the plan.
Critics argue that this move could deter prospective travelers and harm tourism, particularly ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the US, which is co-hosted by Canada and Mexico. The Trump administration has been expanding vetting and screening procedures across the US immigration system over the past year, with an emphasis on scrutinizing visa applicants overseas.
In another development, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has instructed officials to investigate social media history of certain immigrants, including those deemed "anti-American." The agency is also probing the "good moral character" of legal immigrants seeking US citizenship.
The overhaul of the ESTA program marks a significant shift in the government's approach to vetting foreign visitors. While the intention behind this move may be to enhance national security and public safety measures, critics argue that it could lead to unintended consequences for international relations and tourism.
The US government is set to overhaul its Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) program, requiring visitors from dozens of countries to submit a decade's worth of social media history before entering the country. The proposal, which still needs to be reviewed by the White House budget office, aims to enhance national security and public safety measures.
Citizens of 42 countries that are part of the visa waiver program will be affected, including European nations such as the UK, Germany, and France, as well as US allies like Australia, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea. These countries currently enjoy visa-free travel to the US for up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes.
The proposed changes would require applicants to share their social media history from the past five years, emails used for the past decade, and personal information of immediate family members, including phone numbers and residences. The submission of social media history will be mandatory under the plan.
Critics argue that this move could deter prospective travelers and harm tourism, particularly ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the US, which is co-hosted by Canada and Mexico. The Trump administration has been expanding vetting and screening procedures across the US immigration system over the past year, with an emphasis on scrutinizing visa applicants overseas.
In another development, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has instructed officials to investigate social media history of certain immigrants, including those deemed "anti-American." The agency is also probing the "good moral character" of legal immigrants seeking US citizenship.
The overhaul of the ESTA program marks a significant shift in the government's approach to vetting foreign visitors. While the intention behind this move may be to enhance national security and public safety measures, critics argue that it could lead to unintended consequences for international relations and tourism.
! They're gonna ask people from 42 countries to share their social media history from the past 5 years? Like, what's next? Asking us to share our thoughts on TikTok? 
Seriously though, this policy change could have major repercussions for international tourism and travel. I mean, who wants to travel to a country that's asking them to hand over all their online activity? Not me! 
The US government should focus on more pressing issues than monitoring our social media history. This is just a bunch of unnecessary red tape 
#NotMyESTA #SocialMediaOverreach
... like what's so bad about posting a selfie or two on Instagram? 
And have you seen the amount of info we're already sharing online with just one click? 
It's a lot to ask from tourists, especially international students like me who travel to the US for school breaks 
. This change will definitely affect my own plans... and I'm sure many others' too 
sounds super vague & scary 
The whole idea of "enhancing national security" just sounds like a euphemism for "we're gonna snoop on everyone." I mean, what's next? Asking us to install tracking devices in our homes? It's just not right.
Can't we find better ways to vet people that don't involve invading their online lives? I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this whole thing plays out... 
we gotta give them our Netflix passwords too 
let's focus on more important things like security measures that don't involve messing with our personal lives 
they're already checking our emails and personal info of immediate family members... now they wanna see 5 years of social media history too? 
I'm not sure if it's gonna deter all the haters or just push them to use a VPN... either way, I hope they keep an eye on those "anti-Americans" 
42 countries? Like what even is the point of demanding social media history from tourists? It's so extra 
This is literally going to deter people from traveling and hurt tourism, especially with the FIFA World Cup coming up in 2026. I'm all for keeping our country safe but come on let's not be so harsh 
. what's next, asking them to share their browsing history? 
I'm not saying it won't be good for security and all that, but... have we thought this through? 
I mean, who thought it was a good idea to require 5 years of social media history from tourists?! 
It's just too much. And honestly, is it really worth the risk to security and safety measures when you could be doing other things like improving healthcare or education systems? 
Can't we think outside the box a bit? 
. And have you thought about how this is gonna affect people who don't even have social media accounts in the first place? It's just another way for the government to control stuff 
The fact that critics are worried about the impact on tourism is totally valid. This move could definitely deter travelers from coming to the US. And let's not forget, the Trump administration has been trying to implement more and more restrictive policies since day one... it's just getting ridiculous! 
. I'm also worried about the impact on tourism, like people are gonna be super hesitant to travel to the US now 
. What do you guys think? Should we just stick with our passports and not worry about social media?
. I mean who needs all that freedom on social media anyway? It's like, we're living in the wild west out here 
. And think of all the "anti-American" people who are gonna get caught off guard 
. Bring on the surveillance state!