Vacationers from Europe and different areas might be requested to offer a five-year social media historical past earlier than given entry to the US, in accordance with a new proposal from the US Customs and Border Safety service (CBP). The brand new rule would have an effect on guests from international locations who usually get pleasure from comparatively straightforward entry to the US by way of the Digital System for Journey Authorization (ESTA).
The brand new proposal cites an government order issued by President Trump from January titled “Defending the US From Overseas Terrorists and Different Nationwide Safety and Public Security Threats.” In his first 12 months in workplace, Trump has been hyper-focused on strengthening US borders and decreasing what he calls unlawful immigration.
The US state division will conduct “on-line presence” evaluations for candidates and their dependents and require privateness settings on social media profiles to be made “public.” Candidates should listing all of the social media handles they’ve used during the last 5 years and if any info is omitted, it might result in the denial of present and future visas. The CBP did not say what info they had been in search of or what might be disqualifying.
On high of the social media info, CBP might require applicant’s phone numbers and e mail addresses used during the last 5 and 10 years respectively, together with details about relations.
The brand new circumstances are liable to extend ESTA wait occasions and drastically enhance the price of implementing it. The CPB’s doc means that an extra 5,598,115 man-hours can be required per 12 months, or round 3,000 full-time jobs plus all the prices that entails. Proper now, the ESTA software prices $40, permits individuals to go to the US for 90 days at a time and is legitimate for a two-year interval.
The obligatory social media reporting and different necessities might discourage vacationers. Some Australian vacationers who had been coming to the US for the upcoming World Cup have now stated that they’ve deserted these plans, in accordance with The Guardian, with one individual calling the brand new guidelines “horrifying.”
Nonetheless, when requested if the proposal might result in a tourism decline within the US, Trump stated he wasn’t involved. “No. We’re doing so properly,” he instructed a reporter. “We need to be certain that we’re not letting the improper individuals come enter our nation.”
The CPB emphasised that the brand new circumstances had been solely a proposal for now. “Nothing has modified on this entrance for these coming to the US [currently],” a spokesperson instructed the BBC. “This isn’t a ultimate rule, it’s merely step one in beginning a dialogue to have new coverage choices to maintain the American individuals protected.”
If applied, the rule would have an effect on individuals from 40 international locations, together with the UK, Eire, France, Germany, Italy, Australia and Japan. The biggest variety of vacationers to the US come from Canada and Mexico, accounting for practically half of the entire — nonetheless, guests with passports from these two international locations do not require a visa or ESTA approval. Journey to the US was down three % this 12 months in comparison with 2024 as of August 2025, in accordance with the Nationwide Journey and Tourism Workplace.