U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has published a draft rule that would make social-media disclosure a mandatory field on the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) used by citizens of 42 visa-waiver countries. Under the proposal—released late on December 10 and confirmed on December 11— ESTA applicants must list all social-media handles used in the past five years, provide ten years of email addresses, recent phone numbers, and—in certain cases—biometric identifiers such as facial images and IP-address metadata.
The plan dramatically expands a 2019 requirement that already applies to regular visa applicants. CBP estimates that more than 14 million travelers a year would be affected once the rule takes effect on February 8, 2026, after a 60-day comment period. DHS officials say the measure implements President Trump’s January 20 executive order mandating that all visitors be “vetted to the maximum degree.”
Industry reaction was swift. The U.S. Travel Association cautioned that forcing tourists to surrender troves of online speech risks deterring visitors just months before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which tourism boards see as a linchpin of post-pandemic recovery. Senator Patty Murray called the idea “a tourism ban in all but name,” while privacy advocates likened the requirement to China’s border practices.
![U.S. to Demand Five Years of Social-Media Data from Visa-Waiver Travelers]()
Amid this uncertainty, VisaHQ’s visa and travel-document specialists are already helping travelers compile the required history and submit compliant ESTA applications, offering step-by-step support and real-time alerts on any further rule changes. Companies and individuals can learn more or start an application at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/.
For global-mobility teams, the policy adds a new compliance layer: employees on short-term U.S. business trips will have to inventory past social-media accounts and family data before travel. Companies may need to update data-privacy notices and traveler checklists, especially for EU-based staff whose social-media archives may include GDPR-protected content.
Despite the outcry, CBP insists the rule is merely the first step toward “discussion” and could still be modified. Mobility stakeholders have until early February to submit comments; many plan to request exemptions for frequent business travelers and a narrower data scope.
The plan dramatically expands a 2019 requirement that already applies to regular visa applicants. CBP estimates that more than 14 million travelers a year would be affected once the rule takes effect on February 8, 2026, after a 60-day comment period. DHS officials say the measure implements President Trump’s January 20 executive order mandating that all visitors be “vetted to the maximum degree.”
Industry reaction was swift. The U.S. Travel Association cautioned that forcing tourists to surrender troves of online speech risks deterring visitors just months before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which tourism boards see as a linchpin of post-pandemic recovery. Senator Patty Murray called the idea “a tourism ban in all but name,” while privacy advocates likened the requirement to China’s border practices.
Amid this uncertainty, VisaHQ’s visa and travel-document specialists are already helping travelers compile the required history and submit compliant ESTA applications, offering step-by-step support and real-time alerts on any further rule changes. Companies and individuals can learn more or start an application at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/.
For global-mobility teams, the policy adds a new compliance layer: employees on short-term U.S. business trips will have to inventory past social-media accounts and family data before travel. Companies may need to update data-privacy notices and traveler checklists, especially for EU-based staff whose social-media archives may include GDPR-protected content.
Despite the outcry, CBP insists the rule is merely the first step toward “discussion” and could still be modified. Mobility stakeholders have until early February to submit comments; many plan to request exemptions for frequent business travelers and a narrower data scope.
