Daily Voice
By Chris Spiker From Daily Voice
Millions of international visitors could soon undergo new digital screening rules as the Trump administration expands its travel and immigration restrictions.
Customs and Border Protection said it will require foreign tourists to provide five years of their social media history before entering the US, according to a notice posted in the Federal Register on Wednesday, Dec. 10. The policy would apply to citizens of visa-waiver countries, including Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
The Trump administration said it will also collect "high value data fields," including email addresses from the past 10 years, phone numbers used in the past five years, and names and details of family members. Travelers would also need to upload selfies to help confirm their identity.
The new check would become a mandatory part of the Electronic System for Travel Authorization application. ESTA allows visitors from Visa Waiver Program countries to stay in the US for up to 90 days without a visa for a $40 fee.
Digital inspections for foreign tourists gained attention after a June incident at Newark Liberty International Airport. A 21-year-old Norwegian man said he was denied entry into the US because he had a meme on his phone depicting Vice President JD Vance as bald, although CBP claimed he was barred because of his "admitted drug use."
Other incidents have fueled concerns about border agents' interactions with international visitors under President Donald Trump.
A French scientist was blocked from entering the US due to "personal opinion on the Trump administration's research policy" on his phone. An Australian writer was also reportedly denied entry after CBP seized his phone and interrogated him about his views on Israel's military occupation of Gaza.
The US border preclearance inside Vancouver International Airport.
The proposed rule is the latest effort in Trump's immigration crackdown.
Earlier in December, the Trump administration paused immigration applications from nearly 20 countries and will expand its travel ban to more than 30 nations. The move came about a week after an Afghan man who once worked in a CIA-backed military unit was accused of shooting two West Virginia National Guard members, including 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, who died from her injuries.
Since the shooting in Washington, DC, Trump has increased his xenophobic rhetoric toward migrants, especially calling people of Somali descent "garbage."
"When they come from hell and they complain and do nothing but b***h, we don't want them in our country," Trump said during a Cabinet meeting. "Let them go back to where they came from and fix it."
In late October, the Trump administration said it would only admit 7,500 refugees into the US in 2026. Most slots are reserved for white South Africans, who Trump has falsely claimed are victims of genocide.
The Interior Department also recently announced so-called "America-first pricing" for national park passes in 2026, raising fees for foreign visitors while keeping prices the same for US residents. The State Department also launched a pilot program that requires travelers from six African nations to post bonds of up to $15,000 before receiving tourist or business visas.
The social media inspection proposal also comes as the US prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with millions of international soccer fans planning to visit the country in June and July. At the World Cup draw, Trump received the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize, which has been widely criticized and is facing a formal ethics complaint.
A 60-day public comment period has opened for the proposal, and CBP will review the feedback before issuing its final rule.
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