The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is considering new rules requiring all tourists, including British visitors, to submit social media accounts from the past five years before entering the country.
Currently, Britons can visit for up to 90 days with an ESTA, providing basic contact details for $40 (£30). Under the proposed changes, applicants would also need to supply email addresses, phone numbers, family information, and a selfie.
The CBP is also seeking to expand biometric data collection to include face, fingerprints, DNA, and iris scans, compared to current procedures that record only face and fingerprints at the border. The proposals are open for 60 days of public consultation.
Critics have raised free speech concerns, noting previous cases where travelers were denied entry for social media posts, including a French scientist blocked over messages considered “terrorism” related to Trump.