US Proposes Social Media Screening for Visa-Free Travellers

The notice, published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, said Customs and Border Protection is proposing to collect five years of social media information from travelers from certain countries that do not require a visa to come to the United States.

The announcement covers travelers from more than three dozen countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program and submitting their information to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA); this system automatically scans them and then approves them for travel to the U.S. Unlike visa applicants, these people generally do not need to go to the embassy or consulate for an interview.

DHS currently administers the program, which allows citizens of about 40 countries, mostly in Europe and Asia, to travel visa-free to the United States for tourism or business for three months.

The announcement also noted that CBP will begin requesting a list of other information, including phone numbers the person has used in the past five years or email addresses used in the past ten years. They will also be asked for metadata from electronically submitted photographs and extensive information from the applicant’s family members, including places of birth and telephone numbers.

The application that people must now fill out to join ESTA asks a more limited number of questions, such as parents’ names and current email addresses.

Asked at a White House event if he was concerned the measure would affect tourism to the United States, President Donald Trump said no.

“We want security, we want security, we want to make sure we don’t let the wrong people come into our country,” Trump said.

The public has 60 days to comment before the proposed changes go into effect, the statement said.

CBP officials did not immediately respond to questions about the new rules.

The statement did not specify what the administration was looking for on social media accounts or why it wanted more information.

But the agency said it was complying with an executive order Trump signed in January that called for increased screening of people coming to the United States to prevent the entry of potential national security threats.

Travelers from countries that are not part of the Visa Waiver Program system are already required to submit their social media information; It’s a policy that dates back to the first Trump administration. This policy continued during the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden.

However, citizens of countries with visa exemptions were not required to do this.

Since January, the Trump administration has increased checks on immigrants and travelers both trying to enter the United States and those already in the country. Authorities have tightened visa rules by requiring applicants to make all social media accounts public; thus, these accounts made it easier for authorities to review and control what they viewed as potentially derogatory information. According to guidelines provided by the Department of State, refusing to open a public account may be considered grounds for visa denial.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services now considers whether an applicant for benefits such as a green card “endorses, advocates, promotes, or otherwise espouses” anti-American, terrorist, or anti-Semitic views.

Growing interest in social media screening has raised concerns from immigration and free speech advocates about what the Trump administration is seeking and whether the measures are targeting people who criticize the administration in violation of their free speech rights.