The US government is preparing to extend its borders’ digital surveillance, with a fresh wave of privacy breaches as millions of travelers, including Europeans, will be demanded to disclose years of online activity before given entry to the US. If the requirements are not met, travelers will face a US entry ban.
For millions planning a holiday or work trip to the US, scrutiny will begin long before reaching the airport. Under a new Trump administration proposal, travelers would be required to give details of their social media use from five years, making the US entry record is now linked to you social media posts.
Trump Bans Entry to US Via Social Media Criteria
On December 9, a proposal filed in the Federal Register, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) revealed the new data collection, making it “mandatory” for new travelers to the US – including those from countries that do not normally require visas or have denied entry at US airport – to go through a thorough social media scrutiny. Travelers include those from the UK, France, Germany, and South Korea.
The tech world’s worry with President Trump’s plan is no longer just political but now extends to being denied entry into the US . The plan stands as a clash between two digital models.
Europe firmly opposes its citizens being denied entry to US at airport. Trump’s approach treats technology as a tool of power, focused on tariffs, national control of AI and chips, and pressure on foreign firms.
The EU favors regulations that prioritize privacy, competition, and AI safeguards, but never policies that deny entry, especially those focused on being denied entry to US at airport. Europe believes leadership comes from cooperation and stable standards, not a border patrol social media entry ban control alone.
The denied entry to US at airport changes affect the US Visa Waiver Program, which allows short term travel for business or tourism without a visa, provided travelers first secure approval through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA).
Applicants pay about $40 (£32) and submit basic contact information, with approvals lasting two years, not for them to have their socials checked and be faced with a US entry ban.
Under the new proposal, CBP seeks far more extensive personal data and could even have travelers denied entry into the US. Applicants would be asked to list phone numbers used over the past five years, email addresses used in the last 10 years, and detailed information about family members including names, birth details, phone numbers and residential addresses even if those relatives have no plans to visit the US.
It was stated in that notice that the proposal was submitted to the Office of Management and Budget through an “emergency clearance, with the justification of an unanticipated event and reasons to believe following the normal PRA process would result in public harm.”
CBP is accepting public comments for 60 days before a final decision of being denied entry to US.
Immigration law firm Fragomen warned if approved, the changes could quickly affect travelers and lead in being denied entry at US airport.
“ESTA applicants should be aware that if these changes are finalized, they would be asked for a higher level of personal detail in future applications and become subject to a social media review by CBP,” the firm said.
US entry visa requirements come at a sensitive time, with the country expecting more than 1.24 million international visitors for next year’s World Cup.
Refused Entry to US
The proposal fits into a wider Trump administration US entry ban phase shift toward increased digital surveillance, both at the border and inside the US. The administration has expanded social media reviews for multiple visa categories and introduced new fees for travelers from non–visa waiver countries.
Critics on the other hand argue that the government has moved to weaken domestic online privacy protections. While intelligence agencies require court orders to monitor communications, Internet Service Providers can already collect large amounts of data about users’ online activity.
Under existing law, Section 222 of the Communications Act restricts how telecom companies use customer data. But Trump’s nominee for Federal Communications Commission chair (FCC) chair, Ajit Pai, has pledged to roll back internet privacy rules, with lawmakers moving forward with measures that would block the FCC from creating future protections that are “substantially the same.”
Privacy advocates warn that without such US entry ban rules, companies like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon could sell or share detailed browsing data including websites visited, usage patterns and even location without notifying customers.
As the US entry ban widens digital scrutiny of foreign visitors, critics say the combination of broader surveillance US entry bans powers and weaker privacy safeguards risks eroding trust, not only for Americans, but for millions arriving at US borders each year.
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