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.
This marks a significant shift from earlier proposals. Back in 2018, when the US first floated the idea of collecting social media details from visa applicants, travelers from visa-waiver countries like the UK, Canada, and Australia, were explicitly exempt. That earlier draft was aimed mainly at standard visa applicants and did not touch ESTA visitors.
The 2025 proposal is far broader. It makes no exception for visa-free travelers 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 the US visa-free for up to 90 days by applying for an ESTA, which costs $40. That process already asks for basic contact details. But under the new plan, CBP wants ESTA applicants to submit far more, including social media usernames, email addresses and phone numbers used over the last five years, plus names and birthdays of immediate family members.
If implemented, the mandate would apply to everyone visiting the US, regardless of whether they require a visa. The proposal is now open for a 60-day public comment period.
The move comes after years of rising digital vetting in US immigration policy. In June 2025, the US introduced strict new rules for student and exchange-visitor visas, requiring applicants to make their social media accounts public and list every username they’ve used in the last five years. Consular officers were instructed to scan posts, likes and affiliations for anything that could raise “security” or “inadmissibility” concerns, from extremist content to politically charged material that might be interpreted as hostile to the US.
Now, the same level of scrutiny may extend far beyond students. Tourists, business travelers, and even visitors from visa-waiver countries could soon find their online lives open to inspection before they fly.
For now, nothing is final, but the direction is clear. The US wants deeper visibility into the digital footprints of anyone entering its borders. Whether that becomes standard practice for all travelers will depend on how this proposal moves forward after public review.
This story was originally published on Condé Nast Traveller India.
