US plans to introduce mandatory social media checks for even visa-free travellers

The US is planning to impose social media vetting rules even on visitors who can enter the nation visa-free. The Trump administration is proposing that any visitors to the United States provide their social media history for the last five years. This will include visa-free travellers coming from countries like Australia, Germany, Japan and the UK.

US Customs and Border Protection will soon be requiring social media information as a mandatory element in screening travellers entering the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, according to a Department of Homeland Security notice released this week. The agency's plan, disclosed through a 60-day comment period, would incorporate social media data into the existing checks.

The proposed rule would affect travellers from roughly 40 countries who are eligible to stay in the United States for up to 90 days without a visa, with pre-travel screening conducted through the ESTA electronic system.

Officials described the move as part of a broader set of security measures tied to the administration's efforts to tighten entry rules. This comes as a separate proposal for a travel ban on about 30 countries was announced earlier this month in response to the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington.

Authorities have identified the suspect as an Afghan national who previously worked with U.S. forces and the CIA in Afghanistan before arriving in the United States in 2021. Critics, including President Donald Trump and allied voices, have used the incident to criticise the Biden administration for allowing entry and to advocate for stricter migrant controls.

Following the shooting, Trump stated on social media that he would seek to halt migration from “all Third World Countries” on a permanent basis.

In another policy update, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services said it would conduct a comprehensive re-examination of approvals granted to individuals from those nations who entered since President Biden took office in 2021.

The State Department indicated last December that it would broaden social media review requirements for H-1B visa applicants for high-skilled workers, urging applicants and dependents to adjust privacy settings to public visibility. Earlier this month, in June, the department ordered a review of the social media presence of student visa applicants.