A new US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) proposal to make the submission of up to five years of social media history a mandatory requirement for travelers entering under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), affecting tourists from 42 countries, including the UK, has been fiercely condemned as “profoundly unacceptable” and “chilling.”
The Trump administration has proposed visitors to the U.S. turn over five years’ worth of their social media history.
The changes would target World Cup fans from Europe and other countries like Japan, Australia, and Qatar.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) December 11, 2025
The proposal, which follows Executive Order 14161 aiming to vet foreign nationals to the “maximum degree possible,” would impact millions of football fans planning to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico. Previously, providing social media information on the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application was optional.
However, the proposed changes, which are currently under a 60-day public comment period, would require applicants to provide five years of social media identifiers, ten years of email addresses, and five years of phone numbers.
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Ronan Evain, Executive Director of Football Supporters Europe, argued that the policy introduces a “chilling atmosphere of surveillance” that contradicts the spirit of the World Cup.
CBP defended the move as a necessary security enhancement following a recent terrorist attack, but critics warn the measure could significantly harm inbound tourism ahead of major international events like the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics.
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