People visiting the U.S. may have to prepare to show more than just their passport soon.
According to a notice published by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Wednesday, the organization is seeking to mandate social media checks for visa-free visitors. This includes up to five years of a traveller’s social media history.
Visa Waiver Program
The social media check mandate would apply to visitors who are part of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which includes about 40 nations such as Austria, Germany, France, and Greece. Visitors from these places are required to have a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to travel.
The CBP is currently looking to adjust the ESTA application process, including shifting over to a mobile-only ESTA system as “the ESTA website is unable to validate the authenticity of the passport through the certificates embedded on the electronic chip… Bad actors exploit this vulnerability to apply for an ESTA.”
Mandated Social Media Checks To Visit The U.S.
Aside from this move to a mobile-only system, the CBP also notes that they aim to require “mandatory social media” and “high value data elements” as part of the ESTA application.
“CBP will add several ‘high value data fields’ to the ESTA application,” reads the notice. This includes information such as IP addresses and metadata from electronically submitted photos, biometrics (face, fingerprint, DNA, and iris), phone numbers used in the last five years, as well as email addresses used in the last ten years.
Moreover, visitors to the U.S. will be required to “provide their social media from the last 5 years.”
This all comes after the sharp decline in U.S. tourism throughout 2025, especially from Canada. While Canada is not included in the ESTA list, the statistics show that there has been an intense decrease in travellers heading south. The U.S. will also be significantly increasing its prices to visit some of its most well-loved natural parks, which will begin next year.
It remains to be seen if the CBP’s notice is approved. It is currently open for comments and/or suggestions for 60 days.
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