Visitors from 42 countries may soon need to share more personal details to enter the United States. The Department of Homeland Security wants to collect extensive information from those using the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), part of the Visa Waiver Program. This includes social media activity, email accounts, and family history.
Currently, applicants provide limited information, such as their parents’ names and current email addresses. A question about social media was added in 2016, but it was optional. Now, the proposal suggests that applicants may need to hand over five years of social media data and details like phone numbers and email addresses from the past decade.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) plans to include “high-value data fields” in the application. This would mean providing biometric information such as fingerprints and potentially even DNA, alongside extensive details about family members.
This change aligns with an executive order from former President Trump aimed at increasing security screenings for those entering the U.S. It’s worth noting that travelers from countries outside the Visa Waiver Program have already had to provide social media information since the first Trump administration, a requirement that has continued under President Biden.
Public reaction to these proposed changes has been mixed. Some support stronger border security, while others raise privacy concerns. A recent survey found that nearly 70% of Americans are worried about government overreach in personal information collection.
Travelers will have 60 days to offer feedback on these changes before they’re finalized. It’s an evolving landscape of travel regulations that balances security with personal privacy—an issue that seems to be more relevant than ever as we navigate a post-pandemic world.
For more detailed information, you can refer to the Federal Register notice and the Visa Waiver Program.
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News, Donald Trump, Migration, Privacy, Social Media, Travel, United States
