Trump Admin Proposal Would Require Foreigners To Reveal Social Media History To Visit U.S.

 Foreign visitors could soon be required to reveal their social media history before entering the United States, according to a proposal from the Trump administration revealed on Wednesday.

The proposal from U.S. Customs and Border Protection would require tourists entering the United States on the Visa Waiver Program to provide the last five years of their social media activity to the U.S. government. Border Patrol said the requirement would be in step with President Donald Trump’s executive order on “Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.”

People from dozens of countries qualify for the Visa Waiver Program, which allows foreigners to enter the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa. The program includes many European countries, such as Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom. It also includes Australia, Israel, and Qatar. The current system only makes foreign visitors pay $40 and provide an email address, home address, phone number, and emergency contact information.

The Trump administration’s proposal would also require foreigners to provide information from what it refers to as “high value data fields,” such as phone numbers they have used over the past five years and email addresses they have used over the past 10 years. Foreign visitors would also be required to reveal the names of close family members and the phone numbers of family members used in the last five years.

 

The Border Patrol proposal is open to public comment for 60 days. The Trump administration’s move to increase oversight on people coming into the United States comes as the country prepares for the 2026 World Cup, which could bring over one million international visitors to the United States. Some immigration lawyers and people in the travel industry have pushed back on the Trump administration’s new requirements for foreign visitors.

The State Department under Trump has pushed for more vetting of foreigners’ social media accounts. In April, Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered diplomats to investigate the social media feeds of student visa applicants. Rubio has especially targeted foreign students suspected of supporting terrorist organizations such as Hamas.

“Coming to the United States on a visa is a privilege, not a right,” Rubio said in March. “The Trump Administration is determined to deny or revoke your visa if you’re here to support terrorists.”

Rubio also recently told U.S. diplomats to “maintain extra vigilance” when vetting H-1B visa applicants, and the United States will require H-1B applicants to make their social media accounts public by December 15, The Washington Post reported.