The Trump administration is considering a significant change to US travel procedures — one that could require millions of international visitors to disclose their social media handles before entering the country. According to a proposal from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), social media history from the past five years could become a “mandatory” part of security screening, as first reported by The New York Times.

Currently, travellers from 42 nations — including Australia, France, Germany, Japan, and the UK — are allowed to enter the US for up to 90 days without a visa through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA). If the new rule is approved, these visitors would need to provide the usernames of their social media accounts when applying for entry.

This move reflects President Donald Trump’s ongoing push to tighten immigration-related checks. Earlier this year, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services proposed reviewing social media accounts of individuals applying for green cards, US citizenship, asylum, or refugee status. In June, the State Department also began requiring visa applicants to make their social media accounts public. Trump’s focus on digital footprints is not entirely new — during his previous administration, some visa applicants were already required to disclose their social media details.

The latest CBP proposal goes even further. Travellers could also be asked to submit additional information “when feasible,” such as email addresses used over the last decade, phone numbers from the past five years, detailed family information, and even biometric data. As the NYT notes, visitors are already required to share an email address, phone number, home address, and an emergency contact.

If finalised, the policy could reshape the entry process for millions of tourists, raising new concerns about privacy, surveillance, and international travel freedoms.