US plans to scrutinize years-long social media history from foreign tourists

In a new proposed plan, Trump’s administration would be closely monitoring tourists visiting the United States amid new visa policy and security concerns.

The U.S. President Donald Trump has implemented several measures to curb the movement of foreign travelers in recent months, reports the Guardian.

According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection CBP proposal, posted to the Federal Register and published on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, the United States could begin requiring visitors from countries on the visa waiver program to provide up to five years of their social media history.

The proposal would affect travelers from dozens of countries on the visa waiver program, including Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Israel, Chile, and many other European nations.

The proposal suggests adding social media as a “mandatory data element” for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application.

According to the proposal, the applicants would also have to provide additional information ‘when feasible.’

The list includes telephone numbers used in the past five years; email addresses used in the past 10 years; IP addresses and metadata from electronically submitted photos; and biometrics, including facial, fingerprint, DNA, and iris data.

It would also require applicants to provide information about their family members, including names, telephone numbers, dates of birth, places of birth and residences.

As per the Customs and Border Protection CBP, the proposal is open for a 60-day public comment period.

ESTA is an automated system used by tourists and people traveling for short-term business who are entering the United States through the visa waiver program.

It allows citizens of select countries to visit for up to 90 consecutive days. The authorization costs $40 and is generally valid for two years, and the ESTA holder can enter multiple times during that period.

Farshad Owji, past president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and partner at law firm WR Immigration, said it seems that the Trump administration wanted to use the social media evaluation to “understand the person’s view of general politics around the world.”

Even visitors from countries like Britain and France, whose citizens don’t need visas, would have to share 5 years social media history.

Additionally, foreign visitors will also be expected to upload “selfies” as part of their screening process to come into the country.

The decision came amid series of latest events after the U.S. president proposed that he would tighten immigration rules, including “permanently” pausing all migration from “third world countries,” as he cast blame on his predecessor Joe Biden for admitting millions of legal and illegal immigrants.