The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency has published a draft rule that would dramatically expand data collection from visitors using the Visa Waiver Program, including German nationals travelling on ESTA authorisations. Under the proposal, announced in the 10 December Federal Register, applicants would have to list all social-media handles used in the past five years, along with decade-long email and telephone histories and extensive family details. Biometric data (face, fingerprints, possibly DNA) could also be requested.
If approved, the changes, which stem from Executive Order 14161, could take effect as early as mid-2026. Travel-industry economists warn they may deter up to 15 % of discretionary trans-Atlantic trips, costing German exporters an estimated €800 million in lost in-person sales. Corporate mobility teams would face new compliance burdens: internal policies on personal-data disclosure, guidance on social-media privacy settings and extended lead times for ESTA clearances.
Privacy advocates in Germany say the plan conflicts with EU data-protection principles and could trigger a challenge under the GDPR’s extraterritoriality rules. Lufthansa and the German Travel Association are preparing joint comments for CBP’s 60-day consultation, arguing that the rule risks reciprocal measures and will push travellers to meetings in Canada or Mexico instead.
![Proposed US rule would force German business travellers to hand over five years of social-media history]()
German travellers and mobility managers looking for hands-on assistance with these evolving entry requirements can turn to VisaHQ's Germany portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/). The service offers live updates on policy changes, personalised checklists and end-to-end visa or ESTA filing support, helping clients stay compliant while minimising processing delays.
Practical tips for mobility managers: advise travellers to archive or delete dormant accounts, ensure corporate trip-approval systems reflect longer ESTA processing times, and remind staff that false declarations carry a lifetime US-entry ban. Companies with frequent flyers may want to switch key personnel to B-1/B-2 visas processed at the US Consulate Frankfurt, which currently does not require social-media disclosure.
The German Foreign Office has so far declined to comment, but officials privately indicate the issue will be raised at the next US-EU Justice and Home Affairs Council.
If approved, the changes, which stem from Executive Order 14161, could take effect as early as mid-2026. Travel-industry economists warn they may deter up to 15 % of discretionary trans-Atlantic trips, costing German exporters an estimated €800 million in lost in-person sales. Corporate mobility teams would face new compliance burdens: internal policies on personal-data disclosure, guidance on social-media privacy settings and extended lead times for ESTA clearances.
Privacy advocates in Germany say the plan conflicts with EU data-protection principles and could trigger a challenge under the GDPR’s extraterritoriality rules. Lufthansa and the German Travel Association are preparing joint comments for CBP’s 60-day consultation, arguing that the rule risks reciprocal measures and will push travellers to meetings in Canada or Mexico instead.
German travellers and mobility managers looking for hands-on assistance with these evolving entry requirements can turn to VisaHQ's Germany portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/). The service offers live updates on policy changes, personalised checklists and end-to-end visa or ESTA filing support, helping clients stay compliant while minimising processing delays.
Practical tips for mobility managers: advise travellers to archive or delete dormant accounts, ensure corporate trip-approval systems reflect longer ESTA processing times, and remind staff that false declarations carry a lifetime US-entry ban. Companies with frequent flyers may want to switch key personnel to B-1/B-2 visas processed at the US Consulate Frankfurt, which currently does not require social-media disclosure.
The German Foreign Office has so far declined to comment, but officials privately indicate the issue will be raised at the next US-EU Justice and Home Affairs Council.
