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The Digest:

According to a proposal published in the US Federal Register, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is considering a new mandate that would require all foreign tourists - including those from visa-waiver countries like the UK- to submit five years of their social media history for screening before entry. The plan would significantly expand digital surveillance at America's borders.

Key Points:
  • The requirement would be mandatory for all visitors, regardless of whether they currently need a visa.
  • Applicants would have to provide social media handles, email addresses, and phone numbers used in the past five years, along with detailed family information.
  • The proposal also includes adding a mandatory selfie and collecting advanced biometrics—like fingerprints, DNA, and iris scans—as part of the ESTA application process.
  • Currently, visitors under the Visa Waiver Program only need an ESTA authorization, which requires basic contact and passport details.
  • The move follows several reported cases under the Trump administration where travellers were denied entry based on social media posts or messages found on their devices.
  • A 60-day public consultation period is now open for feedback on the proposed changes.
  • The plan raises significant concerns about privacy, freedom of speech, and the operational burden on both travellers and border agencies.
The proposal marks a pivotal shift toward pre-emptive digital border policing, where a tourist's online footprint becomes as scrutinized as their passport, turning social media feeds into a new frontier for homeland security.

Sources: Sky Sports