U.S. Customs and Border Protection on 10 December filed a notice of proposed rulemaking that would make social-media identifiers a compulsory data element in the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). Visitors from the 40 Visa Waiver Program countries would have to list usernames used over the previous five years, plus extended e-mail, telephone, IP-address and residential histories. The proposal also phases out the web-based application in favour of a mobile-app platform.
CBP says deeper digital vetting is essential to spot radicalisation indicators before travellers board a flight. Civil-liberties groups warn that the policy chills free expression and may violate European data-protection rules, complicating trans-Atlantic business travel.
![DHS proposes mandatory five-year social-media disclosure for all ESTA travellers]()
For organizations and individual travelers navigating these impending changes, VisaHQ’s U.S. visa and ESTA specialists can help clarify requirements, prepare compliant applications, and monitor rulemaking updates. Explore their resources at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/ to reduce the risk of last-minute surprises.
Airlines and corporate-travel managers fear increased ESTA denial rates and longer lead-times for short-notice trips, especially for executives with common names or multilingual online footprints. The public comment window runs until 9 February 2026, after which DHS could finalise the rule in time for the summer travel peak.
Action items: multinational firms should brief frequent travellers on potential privacy implications, update travel-approval lead times, and consider archiving key employees’ social-media handles for rapid disclosure once the rule takes effect.
CBP says deeper digital vetting is essential to spot radicalisation indicators before travellers board a flight. Civil-liberties groups warn that the policy chills free expression and may violate European data-protection rules, complicating trans-Atlantic business travel.
For organizations and individual travelers navigating these impending changes, VisaHQ’s U.S. visa and ESTA specialists can help clarify requirements, prepare compliant applications, and monitor rulemaking updates. Explore their resources at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/ to reduce the risk of last-minute surprises.
Airlines and corporate-travel managers fear increased ESTA denial rates and longer lead-times for short-notice trips, especially for executives with common names or multilingual online footprints. The public comment window runs until 9 February 2026, after which DHS could finalise the rule in time for the summer travel peak.
Action items: multinational firms should brief frequent travellers on potential privacy implications, update travel-approval lead times, and consider archiving key employees’ social-media handles for rapid disclosure once the rule takes effect.
