US Visitors May Need to Share 5 Years of Social Media History

Travellers intending to visit the United States from countries participating in the visa waiver program may soon be required to submit their social media history spanning the last five years, a new proposal by the Trump administration suggests.

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) posted the proposal on the Federal Register, outlining the need for additional personal information from applicants using the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). This applies to citizens from 42 countries, including the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Israel, Qatar, and numerous European nations.

Currently, ESTA applicants – those seeking to enter the US for stays under 90 days without a visa – provide details like passport information, date of birth, and any prior criminal records. The proposed changes would make providing social media handles mandatory, alongside phone numbers and email addresses from the past five years. Information about close family members, including names, birth dates, birthplaces, residences, and phone numbers, would also be required.

A voluntary field requesting social media information was initially introduced in 2016. However, the CBP website now clarifies that failure to provide this information will not automatically disqualify an applicant. The new proposal, open for public comment until February 9th, seeks to change this, making the information a mandatory requirement.

It remains unclear how this new requirement will be implemented or how it will affect applicants. CNN has contacted the Department of Homeland Security for further clarification, but a response is yet to be received.

This move aligns with the Trump administration’s broader efforts to overhaul the US immigration system and enforce stricter border controls. Over the past eleven months, significant changes have been made to both legal and illegal entry pathways into the country.

The administration has also increased scrutiny of social media activity for individuals already in the US, particularly those on student visas. In June, the State Department instructed embassies and consulates to assess student visa applicants for any “hostile attitudes” towards the US, its citizens, or its core principles. Applicants were advised to make their social media profiles public, with a lack of online presence potentially viewed negatively.

The implications of this proposal for Ghanaian citizens utilizing the ESTA program are currently being assessed. Further updates will be provided as they become available.

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