Why is Trump demanding travellers’ social media handles; how will it work?

The Trump administration is planning to require travelers from visa-waiver countries to provide their social media history from the past five years before entering the U.S. This proposal, announced by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in December 2025, aligns with Executive Order 14161, which aims to increase vetting of foreign nationals. The requirement will affect citizens of the 42 countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program, who can currently travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for up to 90 days without a visa. Travelers will need to provide a list of their social media handles or usernames used over the past five years, but not their passwords, for CBP to review publicly accessible information. The ESTA system will be used to collect the data.

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