All visitors to the United States would be required to disclose their social media activity from the past five years under new proposals from the Trump administration.
The plans, published on Tuesday in the Federal Register, would also oblige tourists to provide email addresses and telephone numbers used during the same period, along with the names, addresses, birthdates and birthplaces of family members, including children.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through its agency Customs and Border Protection (CBP), described the disclosures as “mandatory” for entry. The rules would apply to travellers from all countries, including those currently permitted to enter under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (Esta) without a visa, such as Britain, Australia, Germany and Japan.
Members of the public have been given two months to comment on the proposals. DHS did not respond to requests for comment from media outlets.
The timing of the plan could disrupt the World Cup, which the US is due to co-host with Canada and Mexico next year and which is expected to attract large numbers of international fans.
Tourism to the US has already fallen sharply during Trump’s second term, amid a series of measures targeting immigration. These have included bans on asylum claims and restrictions on migration from more than 30 countries.
California officials forecast a 9 per cent decline in foreign visits to the state this year. Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles reported a 50 per cent drop in foot traffic over the summer, while Las Vegas has also suffered from reduced visitor numbers, compounded by the growth of mobile gambling apps.
Statistics Canada reported that Canadian residents making return trips to the US by car fell by 36.9 per cent in July 2025 compared with the same month in 2024. Airline travel from Canada to the US dropped by 25.8 per cent over the same period, reflecting worsening relations between the two countries.
The administration has introduced further measures affecting tourism, including an additional $100 daily fee for entry to national parks such as the Grand Canyon and Yosemite. Free admission days have also been curtailed, with Martin Luther King Jr Day no longer included; parks will now only be free to visit on Trump’s birthday.
Visa applicants have faced tighter scrutiny. In August, American Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it would examine social media accounts for “anti-American” views. Prospective foreign students have been required to unlock their profiles for review, with those refusing suspected of concealment. Several students have been detained after expressing support for Palestinians.
Last week, consular officials were instructed to deny visas to individuals who had worked in factchecking or content moderation, accused of being “responsible for, or complicit in, censorship” of protected expression. The administration has also proposed reducing visa lengths for foreign journalists from five years to eight months, prompting criticism from international media organisations.
CBP maintains the authority to search the devices of anyone seeking entry. Refusal may result in denial of admission. In 2024, CBP reported 47,000 device searches among 420 million border crossings, though experts believe the figure could rise significantly under the new administration.
