The Donald Trump administration has proposed new rules requiring visitors from 42 countries to provide additional personal information before entering the United States, with a Department of Homeland Security notice stating that travellers may soon have to submit details of their social media activity from the past five years.
CBS News reports that applicants would also need to list all email addresses used over the last decade, along with personal information about immediate family members, including their phone numbers and residential addresses.
They may additionally be asked to provide other forms of “high-value data,” such as DNA and further details about family members, including their birth dates and places of residence.
According to the proposal posted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on the Federal Register, these requirements would affect citizens of 42 countries covered under the U.S. visa waiver programme.
This group includes several European nations, such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, as well as key U.S. allies like Australia, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea.
The visa waiver programme allows travellers from these countries to visit the U.S. for up to 90 days for tourism or business without securing a visa. However, they must still apply online through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before their trip.
India is not part of the visa waiver programme or the ESTA system, so Indian citizens will not be impacted by the proposed changes.
CBP has clarified that applicants who choose not to respond to the social media question, or who do not maintain any social media accounts, may still submit their ESTA applications without it being viewed negatively.
These proposed measures align with an executive order issued earlier this year by President Trump, aimed at blocking entry to individuals who may pose risks to national security or public safety.
