The United States government is moving to introduce sweeping new requirements for visitors entering the country under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), a programme that currently allows nationals of 40 countries to travel to the U.S without a visa.
Under a proposal released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday, travellers will soon be required to submit five years’ worth of social media accounts as part of their security screening.
At present, providing social media handles is optional.
However, the DHS notice, issued ahead of publication in the Federal Register, confirms that the disclosure would become compulsory:
“The data element will require ESTA applicants to provide their social media from the last five years,” the document states.
The proposed rules go beyond social media. If approved, ESTA applicants would also need to provide email addresses used over the past 10 years, phone numbers used within the last five years, IP addresses, photo metadata, extended family information as well as expanded biometric data, including facial recognition, fingerprints, iris scans, and DNA samples.
These measures, according to U.S Customs and Border Protection, are designed to tighten identity verification, curb fraudulent submissions, and flag potential security risks.
The U.S. also intends to discontinue the current ESTA web portal, replacing it with a mobile-only application system as part of a broader digital overhaul.
Should the proposal take effect, it would affect more than 14 million travellers annually from countries participating in the Visa Waiver Programme.
The DHS has opened a 60-day window for public comments.
Officials say the new rules are aligned with Executive Order 14161, signed in January 2025, which calls for enhanced screening methods to identify emerging security threats.
The move has sparked criticism from privacy advocates, who argue that mandatory disclosure of personal online activity could undermine civil liberties.
Some warn that the policy may also chill free expression, as travellers may feel compelled to censor their online behaviour.
The DHS defended the proposal, saying the measures are aimed at improving border security and updating federal biographic-data requirements.
Reports suggest that U.S. border officials have already used online activity to determine admissibility.
In one case, a French scientist was denied entry in March after authorities reviewed posts on his phone that they believed indicated support for terrorism.
If implemented, the DHS noted, the changes would mark one of the most extensive expansions of digital identity screening in U.S. immigration history.
