Senators urge Trump to scrap social media vetting for foreign tourists
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Millions of foreign visitors to the US may have to provide social media handles used over the past five years, under a Trump administration proposal.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Democratic senators urged the Trump administration to abandon a proposal requiring visa waiver travellers to provide five years of social media handles.
- The US Customs and Border Protection policy targets visitors from 42 visa waiver countries for Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) forms.
- Critics warn of "sweeping digital surveillance" and a "chilling effect", potentially causing billions in lost tourism revenue for the US.
AI generated
WASHINGTON - Two Democratic senators urged the Trump administration on Feb 13 to abandon a proposal to require millions of foreign visitors to provide social media handles used over the past five years.
The proposed policy from US Customs and Border Protection would require travellers from countries in the visa waiver programme to submit the social media data.
“By requiring travellers to disclose their personal social media information, CBP will force people who simply want to visit family in the United States, conduct business with US companies, or attend events such as the upcoming World Cup to submit to sweeping digital surveillance,” said Senators Ed Markey and Ron Wyden.
“No doubt many Americans would be outraged if countries such as Great Britain, France, or Australia imposed a similar policy on American tourists.”
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately comment.
In December, the department said the proposal could take effect as early as this month.
Earlier, a group representing the US travel and tourism industry warned the proposal could have a “chilling effect” on visits to the US.
“If we get this policy wrong, millions of travellers could take their business and the billions of dollars they spend elsewhere, only making America weaker,” the US Travel Association said.
Applicants for immigrant and non-immigrant visas have been required to share that information since 2019.
Washington has taken steps to tighten vetting of foreigners, stemming from a Trump executive order issued in January 2025 calling for visitors to the US to be “vetted and screened to the maximum degree”.
The visa waiver programme allows travellers from 42 countries, mostly in Europe, to visit the US for up to 90 days without a visa. They must complete an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) form, which under the change would require social media handles.
The US is considering requiring all email addresses used over the last 10 years and names, birth dates, residences and birthplaces of parents, siblings, children and spouses.
The US State Department in December said it was requiring all H-1B applicants and their dependents to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to “public” in order for the department to review social media posts by applicants. REUTERS
