Washington: The administration under U.S. President Donald Trump is moving towards a mandate requiring applicants of the ESTA visa waiver program to disclose social media information from the past five years. This initiative, revealed in a notice on Wednesday, aims to intensify the scrutiny of foreigners seeking entry into the United States.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has published a notice in the Federal Register to gather public feedback over a 60-day period concerning the proposal. This plan includes the collection of social media data alongside other information, such as applicants' biometrics, including DNA and iris scans. The proposal aligns with an executive order signed by Trump in January, designed to shield the U.S. from "foreign terrorists and other national security and public safety threats." If enacted, it would impose stricter examination on applicants. ESTA stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization.
The proposal suggests making social media a "mandatory" component of the ESTA application. Additionally, CBP intends to introduce several "high value data fields" to the ESTA application, "when feasible," as stated in the notice. These fields would encompass personal and business phone numbers from the last five years, personal and business email addresses from the last ten years, and information about family members, including their names, birth dates, birthplaces, residences, and phone numbers used in the past five years. Furthermore, CBP may request biometric data such as fingerprints, DNA, and iris scans.
The notice also indicates that CBP plans to phase out the ESTA website application process, replacing it with a mobile application as the sole platform for submitting new ESTA applications. Public comments on the proposal are due by February 9. Following the comment period, the Trump administration is anticipated to proceed with the implementation.
The ESTA program permits citizens from eligible countries to visit the United States for up to 90 days for purposes such as tourism.