Trump wants tourists to hand over five years of social media history before entering US
US President Donald Trump wants tourists to produce five years of social media history before entering the US.
Image: Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP
The administration of US President Donald Trump plans to order visa-exempt foreign tourists to disclose their social media histories from the last five years before entering the country, according to an official notice.
The proposal laid out in a notice published Tuesday in the Federal Register would apply to visitors from 42 countries, including Britain, France, Australia and Japan, who do not need a visa to enter the United States.
Currently, those travellers only need apply for a waiver known as the Electonic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which still requires them to provide certain personal details.
Graphic Content: People take part in a protest against ICE and Border Patrol in Kenner, Louisiana, on December 7, 2025. The US Department of Homeland Security announced on December 3 it has launched a federal immigration enforcement operation, named "Operation Catahoula Crunch," in the New Orleans, Louisiana area.
Image: Photo by ADAM GRAY / AFP
Under the proposed new rules, the collection of social media data would become a "mandatory" part of ESTA applications.
Applicants would need to provide their social media histories from the last five years, according to the notice.
They would also have to submit other "high-value data fields" including phone numbers from the last five years, email addresses from the past decade, personal details of family members and biometric information.
The public has 60 days to comment on the proposal.
The Trump administration has tightened curbs on entering the United States, part of a sweeping crackdown on migration.
Along with Mexico and Canada, the country will host the 2026 World Cup, which is certain to attract large numbers of soccer fans from across the world.
AFP