Foreign tourists could be required to disclose 5 years of social media histories under Trump administration plan
EL.KZ Информационно-познавательный портал
The Trump Administration plans to require travelers from more than 40 countries to provide their social media histories from the last five years to enter the U.S., according to a notice published Tuesday in the Federal Register, El.kz cites NBC News.
The data would be “mandatory” for new entrants to the U.S., who hail from 42 countries that are part of the visa waiver program, according to the notice from Customs and Border Protection.
Residents of the United Kingdom and Germany are among the countries from which visitors do not require visas to visit the U.S., which, according to the notice, could add an extra hurdle for travelers. British citizens and people of other waived countries currently can complete “Electronic System for Travel Authorizations” in lieu of obtaining visas.
Providing social media histories would now be part of the requirements to complete the ESTA, according to the proposal.
The Trump administration has increased restrictions on people entering the U.S., and President Donald Trump ran a campaign that focused on border and immigration crackdowns.
In addition to social media histories, Customs and Border Protection would add other new data collection fields, including email addresses and telephone numbers used in the last five years, as well as the addresses and names of family members, the notice reads.
A Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman said the proposal is not final, and it is not clear how applicants would be required to provide their social media.
A spokesperson for CBP said in a statement Wednesday that the proposal "is simply the first step in starting a discussion to have new policy options to keep the American people safe."
"The Department is constantly looking at how we vet those coming into the country, especially after the terrorist attack in Washington DC against our National Guard right before Thanksgiving," the spokesperson added.
The U.S. public has 60 days to comment on the proposal, the Federal Register notice reads.
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