Trump administration plans to check 5 years of social media for visitors

The Trump administration has proposed a sweeping change that would require all foreign tourists to disclose up to 5 years of their social media history before they can travel to the United States,  according to a notice published in the Federal Register.

Under the notice published on December 10, the request would make social-media history a “mandatory data element” for travelers applying via the online Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which allows citizens of visa-waiver countries to apply for authorization to travel to the U.S. for short-term visits without obtaining a traditional visa.

“CBP is adding social media as a mandatory data element for an ESTA application,” the notice said. “The data element will require ESTA applicants to provide their social media from the last 5 years.”

The proposal outlined in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection notice also calls for disclosure of information about family members, including names, dates of birth, and places of residence, among other personal data.

The agency also plans to collect previously used telephone numbers from the last five years, email addresses from the last ten years, IP addresses, and metadata from electronically submitted photos, according to the memo.

If implemented, the proposal would extend social media vetting to ESTA-approved countries previously exempted, including United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and South Korea.

The administration has implemented tighter entry restrictions for travelers to the U.S., under President Donald Trump’s stricter measures to clamp down on legal pathways to enter the country.

The Federal Register notice states that the U.S. public has 60 days to submit comments on the proposal.

This is a developing story; updates to follow.