The United States is planning to introduce strict new entry rules that would require tourists to reveal five years of their social media activity, under a proposal from the Trump administration.
The plan would apply to visitors from 42 countries that currently enter the US without a visa, including Britain, France, Germany, Australia and Japan. These travellers use the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (Esta), which would be expanded to collect far more personal information.
According to a notice from US Customs and Border Protection, tourists would also be required to provide phone numbers used in the last five years, email addresses used in the last decade, and a full set of biometric data, including fingerprints, facial scans, DNA and iris scans. Applicants would also need to list the names and birth details of close family members.
CBP said the expanded checks are meant to follow a new executive order signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office. The order directs agencies to block visitors who may hold “hostile attitudes” toward the US or its institutions.
The proposed changes come as travel to the US has already declined sharply. Tourism officials in California expect a 9% fall in foreign visits this year, while foot traffic on Hollywood Boulevard dropped by half during the summer. Las Vegas hotels have also reported a downturn. Travel from Canada to the US has fallen steeply, with car trips dropping 36.9% and air travel falling 25.8% compared with last year.
The new rules could also affect preparations for the 2026 World Cup, which the US is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico. Fifa expects millions of fans to travel for the tournament, but the plan could complicate entry for many visitors.
The administration has already tightened other immigration policies. US immigration officers have been instructed to review social media posts when assessing visa applications and to deny visas to people suspected of holding “anti-American” views. The government has also introduced high fees for some visa categories, including a $100,000 charge for skilled-worker H1-B applications.
Visitors who are not from visa-free countries already face new costs, including a $250 entry fee, and foreign tourists must now pay an extra $100 per day to visit national parks.
The new proposal is open for public comment for two months. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to questions from media outlets.
Free-speech groups warned that the plan could pressure travellers into censoring themselves online. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression said the new checks may send a message that US protection of free speech “is only a promise, not a practice.”
Human rights groups also raised concerns that the policy, combined with ongoing immigration raids, could create a tense environment for the World Cup. They urged Fifa to push the US to protect visiting fans and local communities from profiling and unfair treatment.
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