Australian leisure and business travellers heading to the United States face a brand-new layer of digital scrutiny after US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released a draft rule that would make disclosure of five years’ worth of social-media handles compulsory on Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) applications. Under current practice the question is optional, but the proposal—published in the Federal Register on 10 December—would align the 42 Visa-Waiver Program (VWP) countries with the more intrusive data requirements already imposed on traditional visa applicants.
In addition to Facebook, X and other social-media identifiers, Australian passport holders would need to provide historic telephone numbers, email addresses, IP addresses, biometric data and some family details. CBP says the extra “high-value data fields” will strengthen background checks and improve border security, but digital-rights groups warn the measure will chill free speech and trigger self-censorship online. Immigration lawyers have also questioned whether travellers fully understand the privacy implications of handing over such large data sets.
For travellers who might be daunted by these expanded data requirements, visa-processing specialists such as VisaHQ can streamline the paperwork. The Australian portal (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) offers step-by-step online applications for the ESTA and other U.S. travel documents, provides real-time updates, and checks submissions for common errors—helping individuals and corporate travel coordinators avoid delays and ensure compliance with the latest CBP rules.
![US proposes mandatory social-media disclosure for Visa-Waiver travellers, including Australians]()
Practically, the rule will add time and complexity to the ESTA process that enables Australians to undertake short-term business trips or tourism for up to 90 days. CBP estimates the average application time will jump from 23 to 40 minutes. The agency also plans to phase out the government website in favour of a mobile-only platform, raising accessibility concerns for corporate travel managers who lodge multiple requests.
For Australian companies this means educating mobile workforces about the heightened disclosure threshold and reviewing social-media policies to ensure employee accounts do not contain content that could be misinterpreted by US officials. Travel-risk advisers are already recommending that executives cleanse public profiles of sensitive political commentary and avoid “locked” accounts, which can be viewed unfavourably by US adjudicators. Organisations with frequent US travel should build extra lead-time into itinerary planning until the impact on ESTA processing times becomes clear.
The proposal is open for public comment until early January, after which CBP will issue a final rule. If adopted, the change would take effect 60 days later—meaning Australian travellers could be dealing with mandatory social-media disclosure as early as March 2026.
In addition to Facebook, X and other social-media identifiers, Australian passport holders would need to provide historic telephone numbers, email addresses, IP addresses, biometric data and some family details. CBP says the extra “high-value data fields” will strengthen background checks and improve border security, but digital-rights groups warn the measure will chill free speech and trigger self-censorship online. Immigration lawyers have also questioned whether travellers fully understand the privacy implications of handing over such large data sets.
For travellers who might be daunted by these expanded data requirements, visa-processing specialists such as VisaHQ can streamline the paperwork. The Australian portal (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) offers step-by-step online applications for the ESTA and other U.S. travel documents, provides real-time updates, and checks submissions for common errors—helping individuals and corporate travel coordinators avoid delays and ensure compliance with the latest CBP rules.
Practically, the rule will add time and complexity to the ESTA process that enables Australians to undertake short-term business trips or tourism for up to 90 days. CBP estimates the average application time will jump from 23 to 40 minutes. The agency also plans to phase out the government website in favour of a mobile-only platform, raising accessibility concerns for corporate travel managers who lodge multiple requests.
For Australian companies this means educating mobile workforces about the heightened disclosure threshold and reviewing social-media policies to ensure employee accounts do not contain content that could be misinterpreted by US officials. Travel-risk advisers are already recommending that executives cleanse public profiles of sensitive political commentary and avoid “locked” accounts, which can be viewed unfavourably by US adjudicators. Organisations with frequent US travel should build extra lead-time into itinerary planning until the impact on ESTA processing times becomes clear.
The proposal is open for public comment until early January, after which CBP will issue a final rule. If adopted, the change would take effect 60 days later—meaning Australian travellers could be dealing with mandatory social-media disclosure as early as March 2026.
