British and French travellers to be impacted by new ‘social media rules’ for US travel
American authorities will ask travellers to hand over social media information as part of application process to visit country
The Department of Homeland Security wants stricter vetting of tourists
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Travellers to the US, including from the UK and France, may soon be vetted on their historic social media usage and even denied authorisation to visit based on former posts.
A request for social media vetting of all travellers applying for an Esta – travel authorisation for tourist trips to the US – going back five years is one of the new demands from the Department of Homeland Security (the US variant of the French Interior Ministry or UK Home Secretary).
It is part of plans to more strictly enforce US President Donald Trump’s demand that “vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible,” which also include moving applications to a smartphone app to improve image quality.
Geo-tracking of tourists will also be used to confirm they have left the country within their given departure date, if this information is not made available through airline data.
A document from the Department of Homeland Security detailing a full list of recommended changes is set to be published this month, with authorities aiming for a quick implementation.
There are concerns it will hit a tourism sector already facing difficulties by putting off potential visitors who would feel uncomfortable sharing this information, or seeing applicants refused based on historic posts.
If implemented before summer, it may impact football fans heading to watch the 2026 World Cup, jointly hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico, with the final being played in the US.
How would the new system work?
Current rules see tourists wanting to visit the US from 42 visa-free countries – the UK, EU countries such as France, Australia, South Korea etc – required to apply for an Esta in advance.
Similar to the UK’s ETA or upcoming EU ETIAS, this is a visa-waiver document that allows tourist visits for up to 90 days across a two-year period.
Once this period is up, travellers to the US must apply for a new Esta.
Travellers are currently recommended to apply at least 72 hours in advance of travel, but in most cases approval is granted within a few seconds of submitting.
During the current application process, travellers are invited to hand over social media information but this is not mandatory.
Upon arrival, US customs officers can ask to check phones before allowing entry into the country.
This has recently led to cases where tourists have been turned away due to mocking images of President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance found on their devices.
If it becomes mandatory to hand over social media information as part of the Esta application, this would be used as qualifying criteria to grant entry, with security officials allowed to reject entrants based on former posts.
This could include posts critical of the US, its policies, or politicians such as the president.
It is unclear whether officials would have access to messages, or how accounts with privacy settings would fare.
The plans face criticism from industry experts.
“These barriers will hit UK travel to the US hard. History shows us that when a destination becomes harder to reach, British holidaymakers simply go elsewhere,” said executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership Julia Lo Bue-Said, quoted in British media outlet The Independent.
“Right now, US bookings are up 20 per cent across our membership, driven by events like the football World Cup, but new obstacles could quickly reverse that,” she added.
