The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is moving to expand the personal information required from visitors who enter the country without a visa. Under a new proposal, travellers from Visa Waiver Program nations would have to list their social-media accounts, five years of phone numbers, and ten years of email addresses when applying for Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval.
The plan follows a January presidential order calling for tougher vetting of foreign nationals. CBP is also weighing the collection of additional biometric data—including facial images, fingerprints, DNA, and iris scans—and the storage of photo metadata and IP addresses.
Applicants would need to provide detailed information about family members, from names and birthplaces to residential addresses. The draft rule, now open for 60 days of public comment, would affect countries such as Germany, Austria, Italy and Israel. Immigration specialists warn the changes could slow approval times and deter tourists.
The tightening of travel rules comes amid other recent U.S. measures, including the revocation of visas for Palestinian Authority officials and for foreign nationals who publicly celebrated the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
