Overview
- Under the draft rule, ESTA applicants from about 42 Visa Waiver countries would have to submit social media identifiers covering the prior five years.
- CBP also proposes adding “high‑value” data fields, including phone numbers from five years, email addresses from ten years, IP address information, photo metadata, detailed family data, and certain biometrics, with a selfie captured via an updated app.
- The filing cites President Trump’s January Executive Order 14161 directing vetting to the maximum degree possible, and CBP stresses the notice is a proposal rather than a final rule.
- The agency’s materials indicate a significant operational burden, with press reports citing CBP estimates of roughly 5.6 million additional staff hours annually that could slow ESTA approvals.
- Digital rights groups warn of privacy and free‑expression risks and potential tourism impacts, and experts note unresolved questions about which platforms and data would be required and how it would be assessed.