Travel Alert: US to Enforce Social Media Checks for 40 Nations

The United States is pondering over a significant shift in the entry policy—one that would impose foreign tourists the obligation to submit five years of their social media history as a prerequisite for entering the US. This measure would not only affect foreign visitors but would also include the citizens of nations like Australia, Germany, Japan, and Great Britain, who are presently allowed to enter without a visa as per the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).

As per a notification from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), US Customs and Border Protection is going to integrate social media information as a necessary part of the prevailing Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). The application is open to public comments for 60 days.

If the measure is enacted, around 40 VWP nations whose nationals can currently visit the US without a visa for a duration of 90 days will experience an upgrade in the security check process that is intended to give US authorities a closer look at a traveler's online footprints prior to their flight being taken.

One Step in the Direction of the Stricter Entry Measures

This action is the continuation of the security measures that were initiated by the Trump administration and recently immigration and entry procedures were made stricter. These measures also include the travel ban proposed for nearly 30 countries, which was established after the unfortunate incident where two National Guard members were shot dead in Washington.

While announcing the new screening, the President, Donald Trump, said: “We don’t want the wrong people to enter the country and the like.”

The gunman has been identified by the US as an Afghan-born who worked with the US military and the CIA before coming through an approved route in 2021. Trump has accused the Biden administration of letting the suspect in and thus proposed a “permanent” halt to migration from “all Third World countries.”

In addition, US Citizenship and Immigration Services is expected to carry out an extensive review of the approvals given to immigrants from those regions starting from the beginning of Biden's presidency.

Moreover, More Social Media Checks for Visa Applicants Too

The US government is not only focusing on the social media of visa-free travelers. Social media checks will also be expanded for H-1B skilled-worker visa applicants and their dependent family members as well as student visa applicants, whose accounts are now under deeper scrutiny.

Besides, the department even suggests the applicants to make their social media profiles public for an easier review process.

The Impact on Tourism Giving US Revenue Decline and Less Visitors

On the other hand, the US tourism industry is prone to suffer heavy losses. A report released in May indicates that:

• The US is expected to take a hit of $12.5 billion in travel revenue this year.
• Visitor spending may slump to below $169 billion by the end of 2025.
• Foreign arrivals are expected to decline from 72.4 million in 2024 to 67.9 million in 2025.

To everyone's surprise, the US is the only country among 184 worldwide economies that the World Travel & Tourism Council and Oxford Economics considered not only to lose but to be the one losing the most tourism dollars this year.

One of the main factors for the decline is:

• The Covid-era restrictions still in place
• A strong US dollar making it harder for travelers
• The administration's "America First" policy creating negative sentiments.