U.S. proposal would require some travellers to disclose social media history

Foreigners who can currently enter the United States without a visa may soon need to provide the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with details about their social media profiles, email accounts, and broad family background before receiving travel authorization.

A notice released Wednesday (Dec. 10) in the Federal Register, Customs and Border Protection plans to require travellers from certain visa-exempt countries to provide five years of social media history.

The proposal, now open for a 60-day comment period, comes as the Trump administration continues to increase its scrutiny of international visitors and immigrants.

The announcement applies to travellers from more than 30 countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program, who provide their details through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). 

READ MORE: Canadians travelled more during spring, but fewer headed to U.S.: StatCan

ESTA conducts an automated screening and grants travel approval to the U.S. In contrast to visa applicants, these travellers typically don’t need to appear at an embassy or consulate for an in-person interview.

The program permits nationals from about 40 primarily European and Asian countries to visit the United States for up to three months for tourism or business without needing a visa. (Canadian citizens travelling with a Canadian passport do not need an ESTA).

The notice added that CBP will begin asking for additional details, such as all phone numbers the traveler has used in the past five years and any email addresses used within the last ten.

They also plan to request metadata from electronically submitted photos, along with extensive information about the applicant’s family members, including their birthplaces and phone numbers.

The current ESTA form requires only a narrower range of information, such as the applicant’s parents’ names and their present email address.

When asked during a White House event if he was worried that the new rules might discourage tourism to the U.S., President Donald Trump said he was not.

“We want safety, we want security, we want to make sure we’re not letting the wrong people come into our country,” Trump said, as reported by the Associated Press.

In October, a U.S. Travel Association report forecasts a 3.2 per cent decline in international tourism spending in the country for 2025, a loss of $5.7 billion US compared to the previous year.

The association mainly blames the downturn on fewer Canadians travelling to the U.S.—a pattern that has continued since President Donald Trump’s return to office in January, the onset of a trade dispute with Canada, and his remarks likening the country to America’s “51st state.”

CBP said Wednesday that the proposed rule around submitting social media profiles hasn’t yet gone into effect and wasn’t finalized.

“Nothing has changed on this front for those coming to the United States. This is not a final rule, it is simply the first step in starting a discussion to have new policy options to keep the American people safe,” the agency said in a statement.

“The Department is constantly looking at how we vet those coming into the country, especially after the terrorist attack in Washington DC against our National Guard right before Thanksgiving.”

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