Wayne Lumbasi
The United States is preparing to introduce a new travel requirement that millions of visitors to provide five years of social media history before entering the country.
The plan, announced by US Customs and Border Protection, is aimed at travellers from countries that use the Visa Waiver Program, which allows short visits without a traditional visa.
Under the proposal, applicants using the Electronic System for Travel Authorization would need to list every social media handle they have used over the past five years. This information would become a compulsory section in the online application, bringing visa free travellers under a vetting process similar to that used for regular visa applicants. US officials say the change is designed to improve screening and help identify security concerns earlier in the travel process.
The proposed rule also outlines additional information that may be required. These include phone numbers used during the last five years, email addresses used over the past decade, and some technical data linked to uploaded photographs. Authorities have explained that this broader set of data points would support a more complete understanding of each traveller’s identity and background.
According to the plan, officers will only review publicly visible posts and will not request passwords or private access to accounts. The government maintains that the goal is to ensure accurate identification and strengthen the overall security of the entry system.
The proposal has been formally submitted for a sixty day public comment period. Once that process is complete, the Department of Homeland Security will decide whether to adopt the new measures or adjust them based on feedback. If approved, the expanded digital screening would become one of the most detailed pre travel requirements for visitors entering the United States under the Visa Waiver Program.
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