The United States is planning to require visa-exempt travellers to disclose up to five years of social media history as part of enhanced entry screening measures, according to a notice published in the Federal Register on Tuesday.
The proposal would apply to visitors from 42 countries, including the UK, France, Australia and Japan, who currently travel under the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA). Under the new rules, submitting social media information would become mandatory.
Applicants would also be required to provide additional data, including phone numbers used over the past five years, email addresses from the past decade, family details and biometric information.
The move follows earlier steps to screen student visa applicants’ online activity and comes after the State Department confirmed that approximately 85,000 visas have been revoked since January, citing national security priorities.
