Author: Ted Hutson and David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Travel Association, a top Democrat and would-be travelers from Europe and Australia are outraged by President Donald Trump’s new plan to require Europeans and other travelers using the visa waiver program to provide social media accounts they have used in the past five years.
The change, announced in a U.S. government notice this week and effective February 8, will require travelers from Visa Waiver Program countries to submit social media data. Since 2019, immigrant and non-immigrant visa applicants have been required to share this information.
The Trump administration has taken a series of steps to increase scrutiny of foreigners entering the United States. The request for additional information stems from an executive order Trump issued on Jan. 20 calling for “maximum vetting and screening” of U.S. travelers, according to a notice issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The Visa Waiver Program allows travelers from 42 countries, mostly European, to visit the United States for up to 90 days without a visa. They must complete an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) form, which will require social media handles under the changes.
The notice said the U.S. also requested all email addresses used in the past 10 years as well as the names, dates of birth, residence and place of birth of parents, siblings, children and spouses.
The United States, Canada and Mexico will host the Football World Cup in 2026. The global event is expected to attract visitors from all over the world. U.S. travel companies are banking on the event to help the industry rebound from a decline since Trump took office.
Eric Hansen, head of government relations for the U.S. Travel Association, said the organization is reviewing the proposed changes and working with the government.
“If we are unable to provide an efficient, secure and modern vetting process, international visitors will choose other destinations,” Hansen said in a statement.
Patty Murray, the senior Democratic senator from Washington state, criticized White House official Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump’s immigration agenda.
In a post on X, Murray said: “It would be easier to just ban tourism. Who else but Stephen Miller is asking for this?”
Bethany Allen, head of China surveys and analysis at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the move was more restrictive than China’s border policy.
“Wow — not even China would do that,” Allen wrote on X.
During a meeting with business leaders at the White House on Wednesday, Trump was asked if he thought the requirements would reduce tourism.
“We want to make sure we don’t let the wrong people into our country,” he said.
Separately, on Wednesday, the government began accepting applications for the “Gold Card,” which allows people who pay $1 million to obtain U.S. permanent residency “in record time.”
Critics say the plans go beyond the scope of U.S. law, and a website for the program says those who pay $5 million will receive a “Platinum Card,” “coming soon.”
(Reporting by Ted Hesson and David Shepardson; Editing by David Gregorio)
