Visitors to the United States may soon be required to share their social media history from the past five years as part of their application to enter the country, according to a new proposal by the Trump administration.
The plan, posted by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on the Federal Register, would apply to travellers from countries in the US Visa Waiver Program.
These travellers, including citizens from the UK, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Israel, Qatar, and many European nations, currently use the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) for trips under 90 days without a visa.
Vetting social media history
Under the new proposal, travellers would need to provide not only their social media activity from the past five years, but also other personal data, such as phone numbers, email addresses, and family details. This information would be required as part of the ESTA application. Currently, social media information is optional on the ESTA form. “If an applicant does not answer the question or simply does not hold a social media account, the ESTA application can still be submitted without a negative interpretation or inference,” the CBP website states.
The proposal, which is open for public comment until February 9, aims to make social media history a mandatory part of the application process. It remains unclear how this will affect those wanting to visit the US. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees CBP, is yet to provide further comments.
Over the past year, the administration has implemented strict changes to both legal and illegal immigration, including increasing scrutiny of foreign travellers social media accounts.
In addition to social media checks, the new application requirements would include several “high-value data fields,” such as applicants’ phone numbers from the past five years, their email addresses, and the names and details of close family members. Travellers will also be asked to upload a “selfie” to help verify their identity.
Increased scrutiny on travellers’ backgrounds
This proposal builds on previous measures that have increased the vetting process for foreign travellers, particularly in response to security concerns. The administration’s actions also include expanding the travel ban to more than 30 countries, further restricting entry from regions the US government deems unstable.
As part of these efforts, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated, “If they don’t have a stable government there, if they don’t have a country that can sustain itself and tell us who those individuals are and help us vet them, why should we allow people from that country to come here to the United States?”