Travelling to the US? You may need to submit all your social media accounts

"The United States is weighing a major change to how it screens people entering the country by planning to implement mandatory social-media checks for every tourist. Under a proposal from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), all foreign visitors, including those who don't need a visa, would have to provide their social media handles from the past five years before being allowed in."

"The 2025 proposal is far broader. It makes no exception for visa-free travellers and would apply to anyone entering the US. Visitors would need to provide social media usernames, email addresses and phone numbers used in the past five years, along with the names, birthdays and contact details of immediate family members. Right now, citizens of many countries (including the UK) can enter visa-free for up to 90 days by applying for an ESTA, which costs $40 (around £30). That process already asks for basic contact details."

The US proposal from Customs and Border Protection would require all foreign visitors to provide social media usernames, email addresses and phone numbers used in the past five years, plus names, birthdays and contact details of immediate family members. The rule would apply to visa-free travellers as well as visa holders, removing earlier visa-waiver exemptions from a 2018 draft. The change would expand existing ESTA information requirements that currently collect basic contact details for 90-day visits. The proposal is open for a 60-day public comment period and follows June 2025 rules tightening social-media requirements for student and exchange-visitor applicants.

Read at CN Traveller