Trump to force foreign tourists including to show five years social media history before entering US

Tourists entering America will have years of their social media checked at border control if the latest Trump administration mandate is enforced. Here’s how Australians are affected.

Travellers to the United States from more than three dozen countries including Australia could soon be required to submit their most recent five years of social media activity for review before being allowed in.

A proposal filed by US Customs and Border Protection would require social media scrutiny of any potential visitor applying for Electronic System for Travel Authorisations (ESTA), which allows people from 42 countries to spend up to 90 days in the US without a visa.

The requirement is set to go into effect early next year, months before thousands of foreigners are expected to travel to the US to attend World Cup soccer matches.

U.S. President Donald Trump walks down the steps from Air Force One on December 9, 2025 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Picture: AFP

Under the current system, applicants from countries in the visa waiver program must provide a home address, phone number, email address and emergency contact information, along with a US$40 fee (A$60).

With the proposed changes, applicants will be asked to also submit much more information such as all personal and business telephone numbers used in the past five years; personal and business email addresses used in the last decade; and the names, dates of birth, places of birth and addresses of immediate family members.

Other “high value data fields” would include biometric information and personal details of family members.

A US Customs and Border Patrol agent takes a photograph of a vehicle during operations in Kenner, Louisiana, on December 8, 2025. Picture: AFP

Countries that are part of the visa waiver program include Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Poland, Qatar, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.

The public has 60 days to comment on the proposal, which was laid out in a notice published on Tuesday, local time, in the Federal Register.

The Trump administration has tightened curbs on entering the United States, part of a sweeping crackdown on migration.

Along with Mexico and Canada, the country will host the 2026 World Cup, which is certain to attract large numbers of soccer fans from across the world.

This story first appeared in the New York Post

- With AFP Wires

Originally published as Trump to force foreign tourists including to show five years social media history before entering US